THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


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Digitized  by  tJie'lnternet  Arciiive 

in  2010  witii  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Ciiapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/conjurewoman01ches 


THE   CONJURE 

WOMAN 


BY 


CHARLES  W.  CHESNUTT 


BOSTON    AND    NEW   YORK 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 

(^1)e  Bitoerijibe  ^te0,  Cambttb0C 

1899 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   CHARLES  W.    CHESNUTT 
ALL  RIGHTS   RESERVED 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE   GOOPHERED   GRAPEVINE I 

PO'   SANDY 36 

MARS   JEEMS'S   NIGHTMARE 64 

THE   conjurer's   REVENGE IO3 

sis'    BECKY'S   PICKANINNY I32 

THE   GRAY   wolf's   HA'NT 162 

HOT-FOOT   HANNIBAL 195 

"  The  Conjurer's  Revenge  "  is  reprinted  from  The  Over- 
land Monthly  by  permission  of  the  publishers. 


THE   CONJURE   WOMAN 


THE  GOOPHERED   GRAPEVINE 

SOME  years  ago  my  wife  was  in  poor 
health,  and  our  family  doctor,  in 
whose  skill  and  honesty  I  had  implicit 
confidence,  advised  a  change  of  climate. 
I  shared,  from  an  unprofessional  stand- 
point, his  opinion  that  the  raw  winds,  the 
chill  rains,  and  the  violent  changes  of 
temperature  that  characterized  the  win- 
ters in  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes 
tended  to  aggravate  my  wife's  difficulty, 
and  would  undoubtedly  shorten  her  life  if 
she  remained  exposed  to  them.  The  doc- 
tor's advice  was  that  we  seek,  not  a  tem- 
porary place  of  sojourn,  but  a  permanent 
residence,  in  a  warmer  and  more  equable 
climate.     I  was  engaged  at  the  time  in 


The  Conjure  Woman 


grape-culture  in  northern  Ohio,  and,  as 
I  liked  the  business  and  had  given  it 
much  study,  I  decided  to  look  for  some 
other  locality  suitable  for  carrying  it  on. 
I  thought  of  sunny  France,  of  sleepy 
Spain,  of  Southern  California,  but  there 
were  objections  to  them  all.  It  occurred 
to  me  that  I  might  find  what  I  wanted  in 
some  one  of  our  own  Southern  States. 
It  was  a  sufficient  time  after  the  war  for 
conditions  in  the  South  to  have  become 
somewhat  settled  ;  and  I  was  enough  of  a 
pioneer  to  start  a  new  industry,  if  I  could 
not  find  a  place  where  grape-culture  had 
been  tried.  I  wrote  to  a  cousin  who  had 
gone  into  the  turpentine  business  in  cen- 
tral North  Carolina.  He  assured  me,  in 
response  to  my  inquiries,  that  no  better 
place  could  be  found  in  the  South  than 
the  State  and  neighborhood  where  he 
lived  ;  the  climate  was  perfect  for  health, 
and,  in  conjunction  with  the  soil,  ideal  for 
grape-culture ;  labor  was  cheap,  and  land 

RBO 
NcU 


The  Goophered  Grapevine  3 

could  be  bought  for  a  mere  song.  He 
gave  us  a  cordial  invitation  to  come  and 
visit  him  while  we  looked  into  the  mat- 
ter. We  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
after  several  days,  of  leisurely  travel,  the 
last  hundred  miles  of  which  were  up  a 
river  on  a  sidewheel  steamer,  we  reached 
our  destination,  a  quaint  old  town,  which 
I  shall  call  Patesville,  because,  for  one 
reason,  that  is  not  its  name.  There 
was  a  red  brick  market-house  in  the 
public  square,  with  a  tall  tower,  which 
held  a  four-faced  clock  that  struck  the 
hours,  and  from  which  there  pealed  out 
a  curfew  at  nine  o'clock.  There  were 
two  or  three  hotels,  a  court-house,  a 
jail,  stores,  offices,  and  all  the  appurte- 
nances of  a  county  seat  and  a  com- 
mercial emporium  ;  for  while  Patesville 
numbered  only  four  or  five  thousand 
inhabitants,  of  all  shades  of  complexion, 
it  was  one  of  the  principal  towns  in 
North  Carolina,  and  had  a  considerable 


The  Conjure  Woman 


trade  in  cotton  and  naval  stores.  This 
business  activity  was  not  immediately 
apparent  to  my  unaccustomed  eyes.  In- 
deed, when  I  first  saw  the  town,  there 
brooded  over  it  a  calm  that  seemed  al- 
most sabbatic  in  its  restfulness,  though 
I  learned  later  on  that  underneath  its 
somnolent  exterior  the  deeper  currents 
of  life — love  and  hatred,  joy  and  de- 
spair, ambition  and  avarice,  faith  and 
friendship  —  flowed  not  less  steadily 
than  in  livelier  latitudes. 

We  found  the  weather  delightful  at 
that  season,  the  end  of  summer,  and 
were  hospitably  entertained.  Our  host 
was  a  man  of  means  and  evidently  re- 
garded our  visit  as  a  pleasure,  and  we 
were  therefore  correspondingly  at  our 
ease,  and  in  a  position  to  act  with  the 
coolness  of  judgment  desirable  in  mak- 
ing so  radical  a  change  in  our  lives. 
My  cousin  placed  a  horse  and  buggy  at 
our  disposal,  and  himself  acted  as  our 


The  Goophered  Grapevine  5 

guide  until  I  became  somewhat  familiar 
with  the  country. 

I  found  that  grape-culture,  while  it 
had  never  been  carried  on  to  any  great 
extent,  was  not  entirely  unknown  in  the 
neighborhood.  Several  planters  there- 
abouts had  attempted  it  on  a  commer- 
cial scale,  in  former  years,  with  greater 
or  less  success  ;  but  like  most  Southern 
industries,  it  had  felt  the  blight  of  war 
and  had  fallen  into  desuetude. 

I  went  several  times  to  look  at  a  place 
that  I  thought  might  suit  me.  It  was  a 
plantation  of  considerable  extent,  that 
had  formerly  belonged  to  a  wealthy  man 
by  the  name  of  McAdoo.  The  estate 
had  been  for  years  involved  in  litigation 
between  disputing  heirs,  during  which 
period  shiftless  cultivation  had  well-nigh 
exhausted  the  soil.  There  had  been  a 
vineyard  of  some  extent  on  the  place, 
but  it  had  not  been  attended  to  since 
the  war,  and  had  lapsed  into  utter  neg- 


6  The  Conjure  Woman 

lect.  The  vines  —  here  partly  supported 
by  decayed  and  broken-down  trellises, 
there  twining  themselves  among  the 
branches  of  the  slender  saplings  which 
had  sprung  up  among  them  —  grew  in 
wild  and  unpruned  luxuriance,  and  the 
few  scattered  grapes  they  bore  were 
the  undisputed  prey  of  the  first  comer. 
The  site  was  admirably  adapted  to  grape- 
raising  ;  the  soil,  with  a  little  attention, 
could  not  have  been  better ;  and  with 
the  native  grape,  the  luscious  scupper- 
nong,  as  my  main  reliance  in  the  begin- 
ning, I  felt  sure  that  I  could  introduce 
and  cultivate  successfully  a  number  of 
other  varieties. 

One  day  I  went  over  with  my  wife  to 
show  her  the  place.  We  drove  out  of 
the  town  over  a  long  wooden  bridge  that 
spanned  a  spreading  mill-pond,  passed 
the  long  whitewashed  fence  surrounding 
the  county  fair-ground,  and  struck  into 
a  road    so  sandy  that  the  horse's  feet 


The  Goophered  Grapevine  7 

sank  to  the  fetlocks.  Our  route  lay- 
partly  up  hill  and  partly  down,  for  we 
were  in  the  sand-hill  county ;  we  drove 
past  cultivated  farms,  and  then  by  aban- 
doned fields  grown  up  in  scrub-oak  and 
short-leaved  pine,  and  once  or  twice 
through  the  solemn  aisles  of  the  virgin 
forest,  where  the  tall  pines,  well-nigh 
meeting  over  the  narrow  road,  shut  out 
the  sun,  and  wrapped  us  in  cloistral  sol- 
itude. Once,  at  a  cross-roads,  I  was  in 
doubt  as  to  the  turn  to  take,  and  we  sat 
there  waiting  ten  minutes  —  we  had  al- 
ready caught  some  of  the  native  infec- 
tion of  restfulness  —  for  some  human 
being  to  come  along,  who  could  direct 
us  on  our  way.  At  length  a  little  negro 
girl  appeared,  walking  straight  as  an 
arrow,  with  a  piggin  full  of  water  on 
her  head.  After  a  little  patient  investi- 
gation, necessary  to  overcome  the  child's 
shyness,  we  learned  what  we  wished  to 
know,  and  at  the  end  of  about  five  miles 
from  the  town  reached  our  destination. 


8  The  Conjure  Woman 

We  drove  between  a  pair  of  decayed 
gateposts  —  the  gate  itself  had  long 
since  disappeared  —  and  up  a  straight 
sandy  lane,  between  two  lines  of  rotting 
rail  fence,  partly  concealed  by  jimson- 
weeds  and  briers,  to  the  open  space 
where  a  dwelling-house  had  once  stood, 
evidently  a  spacious  mansion,  if  we 
might  judge  from  the  ruined  chimneys 
that  were  still  standing,  and  the  brick 
pillars  on  which  the  sills  rested.  The 
house  itself,  we  had  been  informed,  had 
fallen  a  victim  to  the  fortunes  of  war. 

We  alighted  from  the  buggy,  walked 
about  the  yard  for  a  while,  and  then 
wandered  off  into  the  adjoining  vine- 
yard. Upon  Annie's  complaining  of 
weariness  I  led  the  way  back  to  the 
yard,  where  a  pine  log,  lying  under  a 
spreading  elm,  afforded  a  shady  though 
somewhat  hard  seat.  One  end  of  the 
log  was  already  occupied  by  a  venerable- 
looking  colored  man.     He  held  on  his 


The  Goophered  Grapevine  9 

knees  a  hat  full  of  grapes,  over  v/hich 
he  was  smacking  his  lips  with  great 
gusto,  and  a  pile  of  grapeskins  near 
him  indicated  that  the  performance  was 
no  new  thing.  We  approached  him  at 
an  angle  from  the  rear,  and  were  close 
to  him  before  he  perceived  us.  He  re- 
spectfully rose  as  we  drew  near,  and  was 
moving  away,  when  I  begged  him  to 
keep  his  seat. 

"  Don't  let  us  disturb  you,"  I  said. 
"There  is  plenty  of  room  for  us  all." 

He  resumed  his  seat  with  somewhat 
of  embarrassment.  While  he  had  been 
standing,  I  had  observed  that  he  was  a 
tall  man,  and,  though  slightly  bowed  by 
the  weight  of  years,  apparently  quite 
vigorous.  He  was  not  entirely  black, 
and  this  fact,  together  with  the  quality 
of  his  hair,  which  was  about  six  inches 
long  and  very  bushy,  except  on  the  top 
of  his  head,  where  he  was  quite  bald, 
suggested  a  slight  strain  of  other  than 


lo  The  Conjure  Woman 

negro  blood.  There  was  a  shrewdness 
in  his  eyes,  too,  which  was  not  altogether 
African,  and  which,  as  we  afterwards 
learned  from  experience,  was  indicative 
of  a  corresponding  shrewdness  in  his 
character.  He  went  on  eating  the 
grapes,  but  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  him- 
self quite  so  well  as  he  had  apparently 
done  before  he  became  aware  of  our 
presence. 

"Do  you  live  around  here .?"  I  asked, 
anxious  to  put  him  at  his  ease. 

"  Yas,  suh.  I  lives  des  ober  yander, 
behine  de  nex'  san'-hill,  on  de  Lumber- 
ton  plank-road." 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  the 
time  when  this  vineyard  was  culti- 
vated?" 

"Lawd  bless  you,  suh,  I  knows  all 
about  it.  Dey  ain'  na'er  a  man  in  dis 
settlement  w'at  won'  tell  you  ole  Julius 
McAdoo  'uz  bawn  en  raise'  on  dis  yer 
same    plantation.      Is    you   de   Norv'n 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         ii 

gemman  w'at  's  gwine  ter  buy  de  ole 
vimya'd  ? " 

"  I  am  looking  at  it,"  I  replied  ;  "  but 
I  don't  know  that  I  shall  care  to  buy 
unless  I  can  be  reasonably  sure  of  mak- 
ing something  out  of  it." 

"  Well,  suh,  you  is  a  stranger  ter  me, 
en  I  is  a  stranger  ter  you,  en  we  is  bofe 
strangers  ter  one  anudder,  but  'f  I  'uz 
in  yo'  place,  I  would  n'  buy  dis  vim- 
ya'd." 

"  Why  not  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  I  dunno  whe'r  you  b'lieves  in 
cunj'in'er  not,  —  some  er  de  w'ite  folks 
don't,  er  says  dey  don't,  —  but  de  truf 
er  de  matter  is  dat  dis  yer  ole  vimya'd 
is  goophered." 

"Is  what.-*"  I  asked,  not  grasping 
the  meaning  of  this  unfamiliar  word. 

"  Is  goophered,  —  cunju'd,  bewitch'." 

He  imparted  this  information  with 
such  solemn  earnestness,  and  with  such 
an   air   of   confidential   mystery,  that  I 


12  The  Conjure  Woma7i 

felt  somewhat  interested,  while  Annie 
was  evidently  much  impressed,  and  drew 
closer  to  me. 

"  How  do  you  know  it  is  bewitched  ?  " 
I  asked. 

"  I  would  n'  spec'  fer  you  ter  b'lieve 
me  'less  you  know  all  'bout  de  fac's. 
But  ef  you  en  young  miss  dere  doan' 
min*  lis'nin'  ter  a  ole  nigger  run  on  a 
minute  er  two  w'ile  you  er  restin',  I  kin 
'splain  to  you  how  it  all  happen'." 

We  assured  him  that  we  would  be 
glad  to  hear  how  it  all  happened,  and 
he  began  to  tell  us.  At  first  the  cur- 
rent of  his  memory  —  or  imagination  — 
seemed  somewhat  sluggish ;  but  as  his 
embarrassment  wore  off,  his  language 
flowed  more  freely,  and  the  story  ac- 
quired perspective  and  coherence.  As 
he  became  more  and  more  absorbed  in 
the  narrative,  his  eyes  assumed  a  dreamy 
expression,  and  he  seemed  to  lose  sight 
of  his  auditors,  and   to   be   living  over 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         13 

again  in  monologue  his  life  on  the  old 
plantation. 

"Ole  Mars  Dugal'  McAdoo,"  he  be- 
gan, "  bought  dis  place  long  many  years 
befo'  de  wah,  en  I  'member  well  w'en 
he  sot  out  all  dis  yer  part  er  de  planta- 
tion in  scuppernon's.  De  vimes  growed 
monst'us  fas',  en  Mars  Dugal'  made  a 
thousan'  gallon  er  scuppernon'  wine 
eve'y  year. 

"  Now,  ef  dey  's  an'thing  a  nigger 
lub,  nex'  ter  'possum,  en  chick'n,  en 
watermillyums,  it 's  scuppernon's.  Dey 
ain'  nuffin  dat  kin  stan'  up  side'n  de 
scuppernon'  fer  sweetness  ;  sugar  ain't 
a  suckumstance  ter  scuppernon'.  W'en 
de  season  is  nigh  'bout  ober,  en  de 
grapes  begin  ter  swivel  up  des  a  little 
wid  de  wrinkles  er  ole  age,  —  w'en  de 
skin  git  sof '  en  brown,  —  den  de  scup- 
pernon' make  you  smack  yo'  lip  en  roll 
yo'  eye  en  wush  fer  mo' ;  so  I  reckon  it 
ain'  very  'stonishin'  dat  niggers  lub  scup- 
pernon'. 


14  The  Conjure  Woman 

"  Dey  wuz  a  sight  er  niggers  in  de 
naberhood  er  de  vimya'd.  Dere  wuz  ole 
Mars  Henry  Brayboy's  niggers,  en  ole 
Mars  Jeems  McLean's  niggers,  en  Mars 
Dugal's  own  niggers  ;  den  dey  wuz  a 
settlement  er  free  niggers  en  po'  buck- 
rahs  down  by  de  Wim'l'ton  Road,  en 
Mars  Dugal'  had  de  only  vimya'd  in  de 
naberhood.  I  reckon  it  ain'  so  much  so 
nowadays,  but  befo'  de  wah,  in  slab'ry 
times,  a  nigger  did  n'  mine  goin'  fi'  er 
ten  mile  in  a  night,  w'en  dey  wuz  sump'n 
good  ter  eat  at  de  yuther  een'. 

"  So  atter  a  w'ile  Mars  Dugal'  begin 
ter  miss  his  scuppernon's.  Co'se  he 
'cuse'  de  niggers  er  it,  but  dey  all  'nied 
it  ter  de  las'.  Mars  Dugal'  sot  spring 
guns  en  steel  traps,  en  he  en  de  oberseah 
sot  up  nights  once't  er  twice't,  tel  one 
night  Mars  Dugal'  —  he  'uz  a  monst'us 
keerless  man  —  got  his  leg  shot  full  er 
cow-peas.  But  somehow  er  nudder  dey 
could  n'  nebber  ketch  none  er  de  niggers. 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         15 

I  dunner  how  it  happen,  but  it  happen 
des  like  I  tell  you,  en  de  grapes  kep'  on 
a-goin'  des  de  same. 

"  But  bimeby  ole  Mars  Dugal'  fix'  up 
a  plan  ter  stop  it.  Day  wuz  a  cunjuh 
'oman  livin'  down-  'mongs'  de  free  nig- 
gers on  de  Wim'l'ton  Road,  en  all  de 
darkies  fum  Rockfish  ter  Beaver  Crick 
wuz  feared  er  her.  She  could  wuk  de 
mos'  powerfulles'  kin'  er  goopher,  — 
could  make  people  hab  fits,  er  rheumatiz, 
er  make  'em  des  dwinel  away  en  die ; 
en  dey  say  she  went  out  ridin'  de  niggers 
at  night,  fer  she  wuz  a  witch  'sides  bein' 
a  cunjuh  'oman.  Mars  Dugal'  hearn 
'bout  Aun'  Peggy's  doin's,  en  begun  ter 
'fleet  whe'r  er  no  he  could  n'  git  her  ter 
he'p  him  keep  de  niggers  off'n  de  grape- 
vimes.  One  day  in  de  spring  er  de  year, 
ole  miss  pack'  up  a  basket  er  chick'n 
en  poun'-cake,  en  a  bottle  er  scuppernon' 
wine,  en  Mars  Dugal'  tuk  it  in  his  buggy 
en   driv   ober   ter  Aun'  Peggy's   cabin. 


1 6  The  Conjure  Woman 

He  tuk  de  basket  in,  en  had  a  long  talk 
wid  Aun'  Peggy. 

"  De  nex'  day  Aun'  Peggy  come  up 
ter  de  vimya'd.  De  niggers  seed  her 
slippin'  'roun',  en  dey  soon  foun'  out 
what  she  'uz  doin'  dere.  Mars  Dugal' 
had  hi'ed  her  ter  goopher  de  grape- 
vimes.  She  sa'ntered  'roun'  'mongs'  de 
vimes,  en  tuk  a  leaf  fum  dis  one,  en  a 
grape-hull  fum  dat  one,  en  a  grape-seed 
fum  anudder  one  ;  en  den  a  little  twig 
fum  here,  en  a  little  pinch  er  dirt  fum 
dere,  —  en  put  it  all  in  a  big  black 
bottle,  wid  a  snake's  toof  en  a  speckle' 
hen's  gall  en  some  ha'rs  fum  a  black 
cat's  tail,  en  den  fill'  de  bottle  wid  scup- 
pernon'  wine.  Wen  she  got  de  goopher 
all  ready  en  fix',  she  tuk  'n  went  out  in 
de  woods  en  buried  it  under  de  root  uv 
a  red  oak  tree,  en  den  come  back  en 
tole  one  er  de  niggers  she  done  goopher 
de  grapevimes,  en  a'er  a  nigger  w'at  eat 
dem  grapes  'ud  be  sho  ter  die  inside'n 
twel'  mont's. 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         17 

"  Atter  dat  de  niggers  let  de  scupper- 
non's  'lone,  en  Mars  Dugal'  did  n'  hab 
no  'casion  ter  fine  no  mo'  fault  ;  en  de 
season  wuz  mos'  gone,  w'en  a  strange 
gemman  stop  at  de  plantation  one  night 
ter  see  Mars  Dugal'  on  some  business  ; 
en  his  coachman,  seein'  de  scuppernon's 
growin'  so  nice  en  sweet,  slip  'roun'  be- 
hine  de  smoke-house,  en  et  all  de  scup- 
pernon's he  could  hole.  Nobody  did  n' 
notice  it  at  de  time,  but  dat  night,  on  de 
way  home,  de  gemman's  hoss  runned 
away  en  kill'  de  coachman.  W'en  we 
hearn  de  noos,  Aun'  Lucy,  de  cook,  she 
up  'n  say  she  seed  de  strange  nigger  eat'n' 
er  de  scuppernon's  behine  de  smoke- 
house ;  en  den  we  knowed  de  goopher 
had  b'en  er  wukkin'.  Den  one  er  de 
nigger  chilluns  runned  away  fum  de 
quarters  one  day,  en  got  in  de  scupper- 
non's, en  died  de  nex'  week.  W'ite  folks 
say  he  die'  er  de  fevuh,  but  de  niggers 
knowed  it  wuz  de  goopher.     So  you  k'n 


1 8  The  Conjure  Womaji 

be  sho  de  darkies  did  n'  hab  much  ter 
do  wid  deni  scuppernon'  vimes. 

"  Wen  de  scuppernon'  season  'uz  ober 
fer  dat  year,  Mars  Dugal'  foun'  he  had 
made  fifteen  hund'ed  gallon  er  wine ; 
en  one  er  de  niggers  hearn  him  laffin' 
wid  de  oberseah  fit  ter  kill,  en  sayin' 
dem  fifteen  hund'ed  gallon  er  wine  wuz 
monst'us  good  intrus'  on  de  ten  dollars 
he  laid  out  on  de  vimya'd.  So  I  'low 
ez  he  paid  Aun'  Peggy  ten  dollars  fer  to 
goopher  de  grapevimes. 

"  De  goopher  did  n'  wuk  no  mo'  tel 
de  nex'  summer,  w'en  'long  to'ds  de 
middle  er  de  season  one  er  de  fiel'  ban's 
died  ;  en  ez  dat  lef  Mars  Dugal'  sho't  er 
ban's,  he  went  off  ter  town  fer  ter  buy 
aniidder.  He  fotch  de  noo  nigger  home 
wid  'im.  He  wuz  er  ole  nigger,  er  de 
color  er  a  gingy-cake,  en  ball  ez  a  boss- 
apple  on  de  top  er  his  head.  He  wuz 
a  peart  ole  nigger,  do',  en  could  do  a 
big  day's  wuk. 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         19 

"  Now  it  happen  dat  one  er  de  nig- 
gers on  de  nex'  plantation,  one  er  ole 
Mars  Henry  Bray  boy's  niggers,  had 
runned  away  de  day  befo',  en  tuk  ter  de 
swamp,  en  ole  Mars  Dugal'  en  some  er 
de  yuther  nabor  w'ite  folks  had  gone 
out  wid  dere  guns  en  dere  dogs  fer  ter 
he'p  'em  hunt  fer  de  nigger ;  en  de 
ban's  on  our  own  plantation  wuz  all  so 
flusterated  dat  we  fuhgot  ter  tell  de  noo 
ban'  'bout  de  goopher  on  de  scuppernon' 
vimes.  Co'se  he  smell  de  grapes  en  see 
de  vimes,  an  atter  dahk  de  fus'  thing  he 
done  wuz  ter  slip  off  ter  de  grapevimes 
'dout  sayin'  nuffin  ter  nobody.  Nex' 
mawnin'  he  tole  some  er  de  niggers  'bout 
de  fine  bait  er  scuppernon'  he  et  de 
night  befo'. 

"Wen  dey  tole  'im  'bout  de  goopher 
on  de  grapevimes,  he  'uz  dat  tarrified 
dat  he  turn  pale,  en  look  des  like  he 
gwine  ter  die  right  in  his  tracks.  De 
oberseah  come  up  en  axed  w'at  'uz  de 


20  TJie  Conjtire  Woman 

matter ;  en  w'en  dey  tole  'im  Henry 
be'n  eatin'  er  de  scuppernon's,  en  got 
de  goopher  on  'im,  be  gin  Henry  a  big 
drink  er  w'iskey,  en  'low  dat  de  nex' 
rainy  day  he  take  'im  ober  ter  Aun' 
Peggy's,  en  see  ef  she  would  n'  take  de 
goopher  off'n  him,  seein'  ez  he  did  n' 
know  nuffin  erbout  it  tel  he  done  et  de 
grapes, 

"  Sho  nuff,  it  rain  de  nex'  day,  en  de 
oberseah  went  ober  ter  Aun'  Peggy's 
wid  Henry.  En  Aun'  Peggy  say  dat 
bein'  ez  Henry  did  n'  know  'bout  de 
goopher,  en  et  de  grapes  in  ign'ance  er 
de  conseq'ences,  she  reckon  she  mought 
be  able  fer  ter  take  de  goopher  off'n 
him.  So  she  fotch  out  er  bottle  wid 
some  cunjuh  medicine  in  it,  en  po'd 
some  out  in  a  go'd  fer  Henry  ter  drink. 
He  manage  ter  git  it  down  ;  he  say  it 
tas'e  like  whiskey  wid  sump'n  bitter  in 
it.  She  'lowed  dat  'ud  keep  de  goopher 
off'n  him  tel  de  spring;  but  w'en  de  sap 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         21 

begin  ter  rise  in  de  grapevimes  he  ha' 
ter  come  en  see  her  ag'in,  en  she  tell 
him  w'at  e's  ter  do. 

"Nex'  spring,  w'en  de  sap  commence' 
ter  rise  in  de  scuppernon'  vime,  Henry 
tuk  a  ham  one  night.  Whar  'd  he  git 
de  ham  .-•  /  doan  know ;  dey  wa'n't  no 
hams  on  de  plantation  'cep'n'  w'at  'uz  in 
de  smoke-house,  but  /  never  see  Henry 
'bout  de  smoke-house.  But  ez  I  wuz 
a-sayin',  he  tuk  de  ham  ober  ter  Aun' 
Peggy's  ;  en  Aun'  Peggy  tole  'im  dat 
w'en  Mars  Dugal'  begin  ter  prune  de 
grapevimes,  he  mus'  go  en  take  'n  scrape 
off  de  sap  whar  it  ooze  out'n  de  cut 
een's  er  de  vimes,  en  'n'int  his  ball  head 
wid  it ;  en  ef  he  do  dat  once't  a  year  de 
goopher  would  n'  wuk  agin  'im  long  ez 
he  done  it.  En  bein'  ez  he  fotch  her  de 
ham,  she  fix'  it  so  he  kin  eat  all  de 
scuppernon'  he  want. 

"  So  Henry  'n'int  his  head  wid  de  sap 
out'n   de   big   grapevime  des   ha'f  way 


22  The  Conjure  Woman 

'twix'  de  quarters  en  de  big  house,  en 
de  goopher  nebber  wuk  agin  him  dat 
summer.  But  de  beatenes'  thing  you 
eber  see  happen  ter  Henry.  Up  ter  dat 
time  he  wuz  ez  ball  ez  a  sweeten'  'tater, 
but  des  ez  soon  ez  de  young  leaves  begun 
ter  come  out  on  de  grapevimes,  de  ha'r 
begun  ter  grow  out  on  Henry's  head, 
en  by  de  middle  er  de  summer  he  had 
de  bigges'  head  er  ha'r  on  de  plantation. 
Befo'  dat,  Henry  had  tol'able  good  ha'r 
'roun'  de  aidges,  but  soon  ez  de  young 
grapes  begun  ter  come,  Henry's  ha'r 
begun  to  quirl  all  up  in  little  balls,  des 
like  dis  yer  reg'lar  grapy  ha'r,  en  by  de 
time  de  grapes  got  ripe  his  head  look 
des  like  a  bunch  er  grapes.  Combin' 
it  did  n'  do  no  good ;  he  wuk  at  it  ha'f 
de  night  wid  er  Jim  Crow,i  en  think  he 
git  it  straighten'  out,  but  in  de  mawnin' 

^  A  small  card,  resembling  a  currycomb  in  con- 
struction, and  used  by  negroes  in  the  rural  districts 
instead  of  a  comb. 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         23 

de  grapes  'ud  be  dere  des  de  same.  So 
he  gin  it  up,  en  tried  ter  keep  de  grapes 
down  by  havin'  his  ha'r  cut  sho't. 

"  But  dat  wa'n't  de  quares'  thing  'bout 
de  goopher.  When  Henry  come  ter  de 
plantation,  he  wuz  gittin'  a  little  ole  an 
stiff  in  de  j'ints.  But  dat  summer  he 
got  des  ez  spry  en  libely  ez  any  young 
nigger  on  de  plantation  ;  fac',  he  got  so 
biggity  dat  Mars  Jackson,  de  oberseah, 
ha'  ter  th' eaten  ter  whip  'im,  ef  he  did  n' 
stop  cuttin'  up  his  didos  en  behave  his- 
se'f.  But  de  mos'  cur'ouses'  thing  hap- 
pen' in  de  fall,  when  de  sap  begin  ter 
go  down  in  de  grapevimes.  Fus',  when 
de  grapes  'uz  gethered,  de  knots  begun 
ter  straighten  out'n  Henry's  ha'r;  en 
w'en  de  leaves  begin  ter  fall,  Henry's 
ha'r  'mence'  ter  drap  out  ;  en  when  de 
vimes  'uz  bar',  Henry's  head  wuz  bailer  'n 
it  wuz  in  de  spring,  en  he  begin  ter  git 
ole  en  stiff  in  de  j'ints  ag'in,  en  paid 
no  mo'  'tention  ter  de  gals  dyoin'  er  de 


24  The  Conjure  Woman 

whole  winter.  En  nex'  spring,  w'en  he 
rub  de  sap  on  ag'in,  he  got  young  ag'in, 
en  so  soopl  en  libely  dat  none  er  de 
young  niggers  on  de  plantation  could  n' 
jump,  ner  dance,  ner  hoe  ez  much  cotton 
ez  Henry.  But  in  de  fall  er  de  year  his 
grapes  'mence'  ter  straighten  out,  en  his 
j'ints  ter  git  stiff,  en  his  ha'r  drap  off,  en 
de  rheumatiz  begin  ter  wrastle  wid  'im. 

"  Now,  ef  you  'd  'a'  knowed  ole  Mars 
Dugal'  McAdoo,  you  'd  'a'  knowed  dat  it 
ha'  ter  be  a  mighty  rainy  day  when  he 
could  n'  fine  sump'n  fer  his  niggers  ter 
do,  en  it  ha'  ter  be  a  mighty  little  hole 
he  could  n'  crawl  thoo,  en  ha'  ter  be  a 
monst'us  cloudy  night  when  a  dollar  git 
by  him  in  de  dahkness  ;  en  w'en  he  see 
how  Henry  git  young  in  de  spring  en 
ole  in  de  fall,  he  'lowed  ter  hisse'f  ez 
how  he  could  make  mo'  money  out'n 
Henry  dan  by  wukkin'  him  in  de  cot- 
ton-fiel'.  'Long  de  nex'  spring,  atter 
de  sap  'mence'  ter  rise,  en  Henry  'n'int 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         25 

'is  head  en  sta'ted  fer  ter  git  young  en 
soopl,  Mars  Dugal'  up  'n  tuk  Henry  ter 
town,  en  sole  'im  fer  fifteen  hunder' 
dollars.  Co'se  de  man  w'at  bought 
Henry  did  n'  know  nuffin  'bout  de  goo- 
pher,  en  Mars  Dugal'  did  n'  see  no  'ca- 
sion  fer  ter  tell  'im.  Long  to'ds  de  fall, 
w'en  de  sap  went  down,  Henry  begin 
ter  git  ole  ag'in  same  ez  yuzhal,  en  his 
noo  marster  begin  ter  git  skeered  les'n 
he  gwine  ter  lose  his  fifteen-hunder'-dol- 
lar  nigger.  He  sent  fer  a  mighty  fine 
doctor,  but  de  med'cine  did  n'  'pear  ter 
do  no  good ;  de  goopher  had  a  good 
holt.  Henry  tole  de  doctor  'bout  de 
goopher,  but  de  doctor  des  laff  at  'im. 

"  One  day  in  de  winter  Mars  Dugal* 
went  ter  town,  en  wuz  santerin'  'long  de 
Main  Street,  when  who  should  he  meet 
but  Henry's  noo  marster.  Dey  said 
*  Hoddy,'  en  Mars  Dugal'  ax  'im  ter  hab 
a  seegyar  ;  en  atter  dey  run  on  awhile 
'bout   de    craps   en    de   weather,    Mars 


26  The  Conjure  Woman 

Dugal'  ax  'im,  sorter  keerless,  like  ez  ef 
he  des  thought  of  it,  — 

"  *  How  you  like  de  nigger  I  sole  you 
las'  spring  ? ' 

"  Henry's  marster  shuck  his  head  en 
knock  de  ashes  off' n  his  seegyar. 

"  *  Spec'  I  made  a  bad  bahgin  when  I 
bought  dat  nigger.  Henry  done  good 
wuk  all  de  summer,  but  sence  de  fall  set 
in  he  'pears  ter  be  sorter  pinin'  away. 
Dey  ain'  nuffin  pertickler  de  matter 
wid  'im  —  leastways  de  doctor  say  so  — 
'cep'n'  a  tech  er  de  rheumatiz ;  but  his 
ha'r  is  all  fell  out,  en  ef  he  don't  pick 
up  his  strenk  mighty  soon,  I  spec'  I  'm 
gwine  ter  lose  'im.' 

"  Dey  smoked  on  awhile,  en  bimeby 
ole  mars  say,  *  Well,  a  bahgin  's  a  bah- 
gin, but  you  en  me  is  good  fren's,  en  I 
doan  wan'  ter  see  you  lose  all  de  money 
you  paid  fer  dat  nigger  ;  en  ef  w'at  you 
say  is  so,  en  I  ain't  'sputin*  it,  he  ain't 
wuf  much  now.     I  'spec's  you  wukked 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         27 

him  too  ha'd  dis  summer,  er  e'se  de 
swamps  down  here  don't  agree  wid  de 
san'-hill  nigger.  So  you  des  lemme 
know,  en  ef  he  gits  any  wusser  I  '11  be 
willin'  ter  gib  yer  five  hund'ed  dollars  fer 
'im,  en  take  my  chances  on  his  livin'.' 

"  Sho  'nuff,  when  Henry  begun  ter 
draw  up  wid  de  rheumatiz  en  it  look 
like  he  gwine  ter  die  fer  sho,  his  noo 
marster  sen'  fer  Mars  Dugal',  en  Mars 
Dugal'  gin  him  what  he  promus,  en 
brung  Henry  home  ag'in.  He  tuk 
good  keer  uv  'im  dyoin'  er  de  winter,  — 
give  'im  w'iskey  ter  rub  his  rheumatiz, 
en  terbacker  ter  smoke,  en  all  he  want 
ter  eat,  —  'caze  a  nigger  w'at  he  could 
make  a  thousan'  dollars  a  year  off'n 
did  n'  grow  on  eve'y  huckleberry  bush. 

"  Nex'  spring,  w'en  de  sap  ris  en 
Henry's  ha'r  commence'  ter  sprout.  Mars 
Dugal'  sole  'im  ag'in,  down  in  Robeson 
County  dis  time  ;  en  he  kep'  dat  sellin' 
business  up  fer  five  year  er  mo'.    Henry 


28  The  Cojtjure  Woman 

nebber  say  nuffin  'bout  de  goopher  ter 
his  noo  marsters,  'caze  he  know  he  gwine 
ter  be  tuk  good  keer  uv  de  nex'  winter, 
w'en  Mars  Dugal'  buy  him  back.  En 
Mars  Dugal'  made  'nuff  money  off' n 
Henry  ter  buy  anudder  plantation  ober 
on  Beaver  Crick. 

"  But  'long  'bout  de  een'  er  dat  five 
year  dey  come  a  stranger  ter  stop  at  de 
plantation.  De  fus'  day  he  'uz  dere  he 
went  out  wid  Mars  Dugal'  en  spent  all 
de  mawnin'  lookin'  ober  de  vimya'd,  en 
atter  dinner  dey  spent  all  de  evenin'  play- 
in'  kya'ds.  De  niggers  soon  'skiver'  dat 
he  wuz  a  Yankee,  en  dat  he  come  down 
ter  Norf  C'lina  fer  ter  I'arn  de  w'ite  folks 
how  to  raise  grapes  en  make  wine.  He 
promus  Mars  Dugal'  he  c'd  make  de 
grapevimes  b'ar  twice't  ez  many  grapes, 
en  dat  de  noo  winepress  he  wuz  a-sell- 
in'  would  make  mo'  d'n  twice't  ez  many 
gallons  er  wine.  En  ole  Mars  Dugal' 
des  drunk  it  all  in,  des  'peared  ter  be 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         29 

bewitch'  wid  dat  Yankee.  Wen  de 
darkies  see  dat  Yankee  runnin'  'roun' 
de  vimya'd  en  diggin'  under  de  grape- 
vimes,  dey  shuk  dere  heads,  en  'lowed  dat 
dey  feared  Mars  Dugal'  losin'  his  min'. 
Mars  Dugal'  had  all  de  dirt  dug  away 
fum  under  de  roots  er  all  de  scupper- 
non'  vimes,  an'  let  'em  stan'  dat  away  fer 
a  week  er  mo'.  Den  dat  Yankee  made 
de  niggers  fix  up  a  mixtry  er  lime  en 
ashes  en  manyo,  en  po'  it  'roun'  de  roots 
er  de  grapevimes.  Den  he  'vise  Mars 
Dugal'  fer  ter  trim  de  vimes  close't,  en 
Mars  Dugal'  tuck  'n  done  eve'ything 
de  Yankee  tole  him  ter  do.  Dyoin'  all 
er  dis  time,  mind  yer,  dis  yer  Yankee 
wuz  libbin'  off' n  de  fat  er  de  Ian',  at  de 
big  house,  en  playin'  kya'ds  wid  Mars 
Dugal'  eve'y  night ;  en  dey  say  Mars 
Dugal'  los'  mo'n  a  thousan'  dollars  dyoin' 
er  de  week  dat  Yankee  wuz  a-ruinin'  de 
grapevimes. 

"Wen   de   sap   ris   nex'   spring,   ole 


30  The  Conjure  Woman 

Henry  'n'inted  his  head  ez  yuzhal,  en 
his  ha'r  'mence'  ter  grow  des  de  same 
ez  it  done  eve'y  year.  De  scuppernon' 
vimes  growed  monst's  fas',  en  de  leaves 
wuz  greener  en  thicker  dan  dey  eber 
be'n  dyoin'  my  rememb'ance ;  en  Hen- 
ry's ha'r  growed  out  thicker  dan  eber, 
en  he  'peared  ter  git  younger  'n  younger, 
en  soopler  'n  soopler;  en  seein'  ez  he 
wuz  sho't  er  ban's  dat  spring,  havin'  tuk 
in  consid'able  noo  groun'.  Mars  Dugal' 
'eluded  he  would  n'  sell  Henry  'tel  he 
git  de  crap  in  en  de  cotton  chop'.  So 
he  kep'  Henry  on  de  plantation. 

"But  'long  'bout  time  fer  de  grapes 
ter  come  on  de  scuppernon'  vimes,  dey 
'peared  ter  come  a  change  ober  'em ; 
de  leaves  withered  en  swivel'  up,  en  de 
young  grapes  turn'  yaller,  en  bimeby 
eve'ybody  on  de  plantation  could  see 
dat  de  whole  vimya'd  wuz  dyin'.  Mars 
Dugal'  tuk'n  water  de  vimes  en  done 
all  he  could,  but   't  wa'n'  no  use :    dat 


The  GoopJiered  Grapevine         31 

Yankee  had  done  bus'  de  watermillyum. 
One  time  de  vimes  picked  up  a  bit,  en 
Mars  Dugal'  'lowed  dey  wuz  gvvine  ter 
come  out  ag'in ;  but  dat  Yankee  done 
dug  too  close  under  de  roots,  en  prune 
de  branches  too  close  ter  de  vime,  en  all 
dat  lime  en  ashes  done  burn'  de  life 
out'n  de  vimes,  en  dey  des  kep'  a-with'in' 
en  a-swivelin'. 

"All  dis  time  de  goopher  wuz  a-wuk- 
kin'.  When  de  vimes  sta'ted  ter  wither, 
Henry  'mence'  ter  complain  er  his  rheu- 
matiz ;  en  when  de  leaves  begin  ter  dry 
up,  his  ha'r  'mence'  ter  drap  out.  When 
de  vimes  fresh'  up  a  bit,  Henry  'd  git 
peart  ag'in,  en  when  de  vimes  wither' 
ag'in,  Henry  'd  git  ole  ag'in,  en  des  kep' 
gittin'  mo'  en  mo'  fitten  fer  nuffin ;  he 
des  pined  away,  en  pined  away,  en 
fine'ly  tuk  ter  his  cabin  ;  en  when  de 
big  vime  whar  he  got  de  sap  ter  'n'int 
his  head  withered  en  turned  yaller  en 
died,  Henry  died   too, — des  went   out 


32  The  Conjure  Woman 

sorter  like  a  cannel.  Dey  did  n't  'pear 
ter  be  nuffin  de  matter  wid  'im,  'cep'n'  de 
rheumatiz,  but  his  strenk  des  dwinel' 
away  'tel  he  did  n'  hab  ernuff  lef  ter 
draw  his  bref.  De  goopher  had  got  de 
under  holt,  en  th'owed  Henry  dat  time 
fer  good  en  all. 

"  Mars  Dugal'  tuk  on  might'ly  'bout 
losin'  his  vimes  en  his  nigger  in  de  same 
year  ;  en  he  swo'  dat  ef  he  could  git  holt 
er  dat  Yankee  he  'd  wear  'im  ter  a  fraz- 
zle, en  den  chaw  up  de  frazzle  ;  en  he  'd 
done  it,  too,  for  Mars  Dugal'  'uz  a  mon- 
st'us  brash  man  w'en  he  once  git  started. 
He  sot  de  vimya'd  out  ober  ag'in,  but 
it  wuz  th'ee  er  fo'  year  befo'  de  vimes 
got  ter  b'arin'  any  scuppernon's. 

"W'en  de  wah  broke  out,  Mars  Du- 
gal' raise'  a  comp'ny,  en  went  off  ter 
fight  de  Yankees.  He  say  he  wuz 
mighty  glad  dat  wah  come,  en  he  des 
want  ter  kill  a  Yankee  fer  eve'y  dollar 
he  los'  'long  er  dat  grape-raisin'  Yankee. 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         33 

En  I  'spec'  he  would  'a'  done  it,  too,  ef 
de  Yankees  had  n'  s'picioned  sump'n, 
en  killed  him  fus'.  Atter  de  s'render 
ole  miss  move'  ter  town,  de  niggers  all 
scattered  'way  fum  de  plantation,  en  de 
vimya'd  ain'  be'n  cultervated  sence." 

"  Is  that  story  true  ?  "  asked  Annie 
doubtfully,  but  seriously,  as  the  old  man 
concluded  his  narrative. 

"  It 's  des  ez  true  ez  I  'm  a-settin' 
here,  miss.  Dey  's  a  easy  way  ter  prove 
it :  I  kin  lead  de  way  right  ter  Henry's 
grave  ober  yander  in  de  plantation  bury- 
in'-groun'.  En  I  tell  yer  w'at,  marster, 
I  would  n'  'vise  you  to  buy  dis  yer  ole 
vimya'd,  'caze  de  goopher  's  on  it  yit,  en 
dey  ain'  no  tellin'  w'en  it 's  gwine  ter 
crap  out." 

"But  I  thought  you  said  all  the  old 
vines  died." 

"  Dey  did  'pear  ter  die,  but  a  few  un 
'em  come  out  ag'in,  en  is  mixed  in  'mongs' 
de  yuthers.     I  ain'  skeered  ter  eat  de 


34  The  Conjure  Woman 

grapes,  'caze  I  knows  de  old  vimes  fum 
de  noo  ones ;  but  wid  strangers  dey 
ain'  no  tellin'  w'at  mought  happen.  I 
would  n'  'vise  yer  ter  buy  dis  vimya'd." 

I  bought  the  vineyard,  nevertheless, 
and  it  has  been  for  a  long  time  in  a 
thriving  condition,  and  is  often  referred 
to  by  the  local  press  as  a  striking  illus- 
tration of  the  opportunities  open  to 
Northern  capital  in  the  development  of 
Southern  industries.  The  luscious  scup- 
pernong  holds  first  rank  among  our 
grapes,  though  we  cultivate  a  great  many 
other  varieties,  and  our  income  from 
grapes  packed  and  shipped  to  the  North- 
ern markets  is  quite  considerable,  I  have 
not  noticed  any  developments  of  the 
goopher  in  the  vineyard,  although  I  have 
a  mild  suspicion  that  our  colored  assist- 
ants do  not  suffer  from  want  of  grapes 
during  the  season. 

I  found,  vi^hen  I  bought  the  vineyard, 
that  Uncle  Julius  had  occupied  a  cabin 


The  Goophered  Grapevine         35 

on  the  place  for  many  years,  and  derived 
a  respectable  revenue  from  the  product 
of  the  neglected  grapevines.  This, 
doubtless,  accounted  for  his  advice  to 
me  not  to  buy  the  vineyard,  though 
whether  it  inspired  the  goopher  story  I 
am  unable  to  state.  I  believe,  however, 
that  the  wages  I  paid  him  for  his  ser- 
vices as  coachman,  for  I  gave  him  em- 
ployment in  that  capacity,  were  more 
than  an  equivalent  for  anything  he  lost 
by  the  sale  of  the  vineyard. 


PO'  SANDY 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  my  vine- 
yard in  central  North  Carolina,  and 
fronting  on  the  Lumberton  plank-road, 
there  stood  a  small  frame  house,  of  the 
simplest  construction.  It  was  built  of 
pine  lumber,  and  contained  but  one 
room,  to  which  one  window  gave  light 
and  one  door  admission.  Its  weather- 
beaten  sides  revealed  a  virgin  innocence 
of  paint.  Against  one  end  of  the  house, 
and  occupying  half  its  width,  there  stood 
a  huge  brick  chimney  :  the  crumbling 
mortar  had  left  large  cracks  between  the 
bricks ;  the  bricks  themselves  had  be- 
gun to  scale  off  in  large  flakes,  leaving 
the  chimney  sprinkled  with  unsightly 
blotches.      These    evidences    of    decay 

were  but  partially  concealed  by  a  creep- 

RBC 
NcU 


Pd  Sandy  37 

ing  vine,  which  extended  its  slender 
branches  hither  and  thither  in  an  am- 
bitious but  futile  attempt  to  cover  the 
whole  chimney.  The  wooden  shutter, 
which  had  once  protected  the  unglazed 
window,  had  fallen  from  its  hinges,  and 
lay  rotting  in  the  rank  grass  and  jimson- 
weeds  beneath.  This  building,  I  learned 
when  I  bought  the  place,  had  been  used 
as  a  schoolhouse  for  several  years  prior 
to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  since 
which  time  it  had  remained  unoccupied, 
save  when  some  stray  cow  or  vagrant 
hog  had  sought  shelter  within  its  walls 
from  the  chill  rains  and  nipping  winds 
of  winter. 

One  day  my  wife  requested  me  to 
build  her  a  new  kitchen.  The  house 
erected  by  us,  when  we  first  came  to  live 
upon  the  vineyard,  contained  a  very  con- 
veniently arranged  kitchen ;  but  for 
some  occult  reason  my  wife  wanted  a 
kitchen  in  the  back  yard,  apart  from  the 


38  The  Conjure  Woman 

dwelling-house,  after  the  usual  Southern 
fashion.     Of  course  I  had  to  build  it. 

To  save  expense,  I  decided  to  tear 
down  the  old  schoolhouse,  and  use  the 
lumber,  which  was  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation,  in  the  construction  of  the 
new  kitchen.  Before  demolishing  the 
old  house,  however,  I  made  an  estimate 
of  the  amount  of  material  contained  in 
it,  and  found  that  I  would  have  to  buy 
several  hundred  feet  of  lumber  addi- 
tional, in  order  to  build  the  new  kitchen 
according  to  my  wife's  plan. 

One  morning  old  Julius  McAdoo,  our 
colored  coachman,  harnessed  the  gray 
mare  to  the  rockaway,  and  drove  my 
wife  and  me  over  to  the  sawmill  from 
which  I  meant  to  order  the  new  lumber. 
We  drove  down  the  long  lane  which  led 
from  our  house  to  the  plank-road ;  follow- 
ing the  plank-road  for  about  a  mile,  we 
turned  into  a  road  running  through  the 
forest  and  across  the  swamp  to  the  saw- 


Pd  Sandy  39 

mill  beyond.  Our  carriage  jolted  over 
the  half-rotted  corduroy  road  which  trav- 
ersed the  swamp,  and  then  climbed  the 
long  hill  leading  to  the  sawmill.  When 
we  reached  the  mill,  the  foreman  had 
gone  over  to  a  neighboring  farmhouse, 
probably  to  smoke  or  gossip,  and  we 
were  compelled  to  await  his  return  be- 
fore we  could  transact  our  business. 
We  remained  seated  in  the  carriage,  a 
few  rods  from  the  mill,  and  watched  the 
leisurely  movements  of  the  mill-hands. 
We  had  not  waited  long  before  a  huge 
pine  log  was  placed  in  position,  the 
machinery  of  the  mill  was  set  in  mo- 
tion, and  the  circular  saw  began  to  eat 
its  way  through  the  log,  with  a  loud 
whir  which  resounded  throughout  the 
vicinity  of  the  mill.  The  sound  rose 
and  fell  in  a  sort  of  rhythmic  cadence, 
which,  heard  from  where  we  sat,  was 
not  unpleasing,  and  not  loud  enough  to 
prevent   conversation.     When   the   saw 


40  The  Conjure  Woman 

started  on  its  second  journey  through 
the  log,  Julius  observed,  in  a  lugubrious 
tone,  and  with  a  perceptible  shudder  :  — 

"  Ugh !  but  dat  des  do  cuddle  my 
blood ! " 

"  What 's  the  matter,  Uncle  Julius  ? " 
inquired  my  wife,  who  is  of  a  very  sym- 
pathetic turn  of  mind.  "  Does  the  noise 
affect  your  nerves  ? " 

"No,  Mis'  Annie,"  replied  the  old 
man,  with  emotion,  "  I  ain'  narvous  ;  but 
dat  saw,  a-cuttin'  en  grindin'  thoo  dat 
stick  er  timber,  en  moanin',  en  groanin,' 
en  sweekin',  kyars  my  'memb'ance  back 
ter  ole  times,  en  'min's  me  er  po'  Sandy." 
The  pathetic  intonation  with  which  he 
lengthened  out  the  "  po'  Sandy  "  touched 
a  responsive  chord  in  our  own  hearts. 

"And  who  was  poor  Sandy  .^ "  asked 
my  wife,  who  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
the  stories  of  plantation  life  which  she 
hears  from  the  lips  of  the  older  colored 
people.      Some    of    these    stories    are 


Pd  Sandy  4 1 

quaintly  humorous  ;  others  wildly  ex- 
travagant, revealing  the  Oriental  cast  of 
the  negro's  imagination ;  while  others, 
poured  freely  into  the  sympathetic  ear 
of  a  Northern-bred  woman,  disclose 
many  a  tragic  incident  of  the  darker 
side  of  slavery. 

"Sandy,"  said  Julius,  in  reply  to  my 
wife's  question,  "  was  a  nigger  w'at  use- 
ter  b'long  ter  ole  Mars  Marrabo  Mc- 
Swayne.  Mars  Marrabo's  place  wuz  on 
de  yuther  side'n  de  swamp,  right  nex'  ter 
yo'  place.  Sandy  wuz  a  monst'us  good 
nigger,  en  could  do  so  many  things 
erbout  a  plantation,  en  alluz  'ten'  ter  his 
wuk  so  well,  dat  w'en  Mars  Marrabo's 
chilluns  growed  up  en  married  off,  dey 
all  un  'em  wanted  dey  daddy  fer  ter  gin 
'em  Sandy  fer  a  weddin'  present.  But 
Mars  Marrabo  knowed  de  res'  would  n' 
be  satisfied  ef  he  gin  Sandy  ter  a'er  one 
un  'em  ;  so  w'en  dey  wuz  all  done  mar- 
ried, he  fix  it  by  'lowin'  one  er  his  chil- 


42  The  Conjure  Woman 

luns  ter  take  Sandy  fer  a  mont'  er  so,  en 
den  ernudder  for  a  mont'  er  so,  en  so  on 
dat  erway  tel  dey  had  all  had  'im  de 
same  lenk  er  time  ;  en  den  dey  would 
all  take  him  roun'  ag'in,  'cep'n'  oncet  in 
a  w'ile  w'en  Mars  Marrabo  would  len' 
'im  ter  some  er  his  yuther  kinfolks  'roun' 
de  country,  w'en  dey  wuz  short  er  han's; 
tel  bimeby  it  go  so  Sandy  did  n'  hardly 
knowed  whar  he  wuz  gwine  ter  stay  fum 
one  week's  een'  ter  de  yuther. 

"  One  time  w'en  Sandy  wuz  lent  out 
ez  yushal,  a  spekilater  come  erlong  wid 
a  lot  er  niggers,  en  Mars  Marrabo  swap' 
Sandy's  wife  off  fer  a  noo  'oman.  W'en 
Sandy  come  back,  Mars  Marrabo  gin  'im 
a  dollar,  en  'lowed  he  wuz  monst'us 
sorry  fer  ter  break  up  de  fambly,  but  de 
spekilater  had  gin  'im  big  boot,  en  times 
wuz  hard  en  money  skase,  en  so  he 
wuz  bleedst  ter  make  de  trade.  Sandy 
tuk  on  some  'bout  losin'  his  wife,  but  he 
soon  seed  dey  want  no  use  cryin'  ober 


Pd  Sandy  43 

spilt  merlasses  ;  en  bein'  ez  he  lacked  de 
looks  er  de  noo  'oman,  he  tuk  up  wid 
her  atter  she  'd  be'n  on  de  plantation  a 
mont'  er  so. 

"  Sandy  en  his  noo  wife  got  on  mighty 
well  tergedder,  en  de  niggers  all  'mence' 
ter  talk  about  how  lovin'  dey  wuz.  Wen 
Tenie  wuz  tuk  sick  oncet,  Sandy  useter 
set  up  all  night  wid  'er,  en  den  go  ter 
wuk  in  de  mawnin'  des  lack  he  had  his 
reg'lar  sleep ;  en  Tenie  would  'a'  done 
anythin'  in  de  worl'  for  her  Sandy. 

"  Sandy  en  Tenie  had  n'  be'n  libbin' 
tergedder  fer  mo'  d'n  two  mont's  befo' 
Mars  Marrabo's  old  uncle,  w'at  libbed 
down  in  Robeson  County,  sent  up  ter 
fin'  out  ef  Mars  Marrabo  could  n'  len' 
'im  er  hire  'im  a  good  han'  fer  a  mont' 
er  so.  Sandy's  marster  wuz  one  er  dese 
yer  easy-gwine  folks  w'at  wanter  please 
eve'ybody,  en  he  says  yas,  he  could  len' 
'im  Sandy.  En  Mars  Marrabo  tol' 
Sandy  fer  ter  git  ready  ter  go  down  ter 


44  The  Conjure   Woman 

Robeson  nex'  day,  fer  ter  stay  a  mont' 
er  so. 

"  It  wuz  monst'us  hard  on  Sandy  fer 
ter  take  'im  'way  fum  Tenie.  It  wuz  so 
fur  down  ter  Robeson  dat  he  did  n'  hab 
no  chance  er  comin'  back  ter  see  her  tel 
de  time  wuz  up ;  he  would  n'  'a'  mine 
comin'  ten  er  fifteen  mile  at  night  ter 
see  Tenie,  but  Mars  Marrabo's  uncle's 
plantation  wuz  mo'  d'n  forty  mile  off. 
Sandy  wuz  mighty  sad  en  cas'  down 
atter  w'at  Mars  Marrabo  tol'  'im,  en  he 
says  ter  Tenie,  sezee  :  — 

"  '  I  'm  gittin'  monst'us  ti'ed  er  dish 
yer  gwine  roun'  so  much.  Here  I  is  lent 
ter  Mars  Jeems  dis  mont',  en  I  got  ter 
do  so-en-so  ;  en  ter  Mars  Archie  de  nex' 
mont',  en  I  got  ter  do  so-en-so ;  den  I 
got  ter  go  ter  Miss  Jinnie's  :  en  hit 's 
Sandy  dis  en  Sandy  dat,  en  Sandy  yer 
en  Sandy  dere,  tel  it  'pears  ter  me  I  ain' 
got  no  home,  ner  no  marster,  ner  no 
mistiss,  ner  no  nuffin.     I  can't  eben  keep 


.      Pd  Sandy  45 

a  wife :  my  yuther  ole  'oman  wuz  sol' 
away  widout  my  gittin'  a  chance  fer  ter 
tell  her  good-by  ;  en  now  I  got  ter  go  off 
en  leab  you,  Tenie,  en  I  dunno  whe'r 
I  'm  eber  gwine  ter  see  you  ag'in  er  no. 
I  wisht  I  wuz  a  tree,  er  a  stump,  er  a 
rock,  er  sump'n  w'at  could  stay  on  de 
plantation  fer  a  w'ile.' 

"  After  Sandy  got  thoo  talkin',  Tenie 
didn'  say  naer  word,  but  des  sot  dere 
by  de  fier,  studyin'  en  studyin'.  Bimeby 
she  up'n'  says  :  — 

"  *  Sandy,  is  I  eber  tol'  you  I  wuz  a 
cunjuh  'oman  ? ' 

"  Co'se  Sandy  hadn'  nebber  dremp' 
er  nuffin  lack  dat,  en  he  made  a  great 
'miration  w'en  he  hear  w'at  Tenie  say. 
Bimeby  Tenie  went  on  :  — 

"  '  I  ain'  goophered  nobody,  ner  done 
no  cunjuh  wuk,  fer  fifteen  year  er  mo'  ; 
en  w'en  I  got  religion  I  made  up  my 
mine  I  would  n'  wuk  no  mo'  goopher. 
But  dey  is  some  things  I  doan   b'lieve 


46  The  Conjure    Woman 

it 's  no  sin  fer  ter  do ;  en  ef  you  doan 
wanter  be  sent  roun'  fum  pillar  ter  pos', 
en  ef  you  doan  wanter  go  down  ter 
Robeson,  I  kin  fix  things  so  you  won't 
haf  ter.  Ef  you  '11  des  say  de  word,  I 
kin  turn  you  ter  w'ateber  you  wanter  be, 
en  you  kin  stay  right  whar  you  wanter, 
ez  long  ez  you  mineter.* 

"  Sandy  say  he  doan  keer  ;  he's  will- 
in'  fer  ter  do  anythin'  fer  ter  stay  close 
ter  Tenie.  Den  Tenie  ax  'im  ef  he  doan 
wanter  be  turnt  inter  a  rabbit. 

"  Sandy  say,  '  No,  de  dogs  mought  git 
after  me.' 

"  '  Shill  I  turn  you  ter  a  wolf  1 '  sez 
Tenie. 

"  '  No,  eve'ybody  's  skeered  er  a  wolf, 
en  I  doan  want  nobody  ter  be  skeered 
er  me.' 

"  '  Shill  I  turn  you  ter  a  mawkin'- 
bird.?' 

"  *  No,  a  hawk  mought  ketch  me.  I 
wanter  be  turnt  inter  sump'n  w'at  '11 
stay  in  one  place.' 


Pd  Sandy  47 

" '  I  kin  turn  you  ter  a  tree,'  sez 
Tenie.  'You  won't  hab  no  mouf  ner 
years,  but  I  kin  turn  you  back  oncet  in 
a  w'ile,  so  you  kin  git  sump'n  ter  eat, 
en  hear  w'at  's  gwine  on.' 

"  Well,  Sandy  say  dat  '11  do.  En  so 
Tenie  tuk  'im  down  by  de  aidge  er  de 
swamp,  not  fur  fum  de  quarters,  en  turnt 
'im  inter  a  big  pine-tree,  en  sot  'im  out 
'mongs'  some  yuther  trees.  En  de  nex' 
mawnin',  ez  some  er  de  fiel'  ban's  wuz 
gwine  long  dere,  dey  seed  a  tree  w'at 
dey  did  n'  'member  er  habbin'  seed  befo'; 
it  wuz  monst'us  quare,  en  dey  wuz  bleedst 
ter  'low  dat  dey  had  n*  'membered  right, 
er  e'se  one  er  de  saplin's  had  be'n  grow- 
in'  monst'us  fas'. 

"Wen  Mars  Marrabo  'skiver'  dat 
Sandy  wuz  gone,  he  'lowed  Sandy  had 
runned  away.  He  got  de  dogs  out,  but 
de  las'  place  dey  could  track  Sandy  ter 
wuz  de  foot  er  dat  pine-tree.  En  dere 
de  dogs  stood  en  barked,  en  bayed,  en 


48  The  Conjure   Woman 

pawed  at  de  tree,  en  tried  ter  climb  up 
on  it ;  en  w'en  dey  wuz  tuk  roun'  thoo 
de  swamp  ter  look  fer  de  scent,  dey 
broke  loose  en  made  fer  dat  tree  ag'in. 
It  wuz  de  beatenis'  thing  de  w'ite  folks 
eber  hearn  of,  en  Mars  Marrabo  'lowed 
dat  Sandy  must  'a'  dim'  up  on  de  tree 
en  jump'  off  on  a  mule  er  sump'n,  en  rid 
fur  ernuff  fer  ter  spile  de  scent.  Mars 
Marrabo  wanted  ter  'cuse  some  er  de 
yuther  niggers  er  heppin'  Sandy  off,  but 
dey  all  'nied  it  ter  de  las' ;  en  eve'ybody 
knowed  Tenie  sot  too  much  sto'  by 
Sandy  fer  ter  he'p  'im  run  away  whar 
she  could  n'  nebber  see  'im  no  mo'. 

"  W'en  Sandy  had  be'n  gone  long 
ernuff  fer  folks  ter  think  he  done  got 
clean  away,  Tenie  useter  go  down  ter 
de  woods  at  night  en  turn  'im  back,  en 
den  dey  'd  slip  up  ter  de  cabin  en  set  by 
de  fire  en  talk.  But  dey  ha'  ter  be  mon- 
st'us  keerful,  er  e'se  somebody  would  'a' 
seed  'em,  en  dat  would  'a'  spile'  de  whole 


Po    Sandy  49 

thing  ;  so  Tenie  alluz  turnt  Sandy  back 
in  de  mawnin'  early,  befo'  anybody  wuz 
a-stirrin'. 

"But  Sandy  did  n'  git  erlong  widout 
his  trials  en  tribberlations.  One  day  a 
woodpecker  come  erlong  en  'mence'  ter 
peck  at  de  tree  ;  en  de  nex'  time  Sandy 
wuz  turnt  back  he  had  a  little  roun'  hole 
in  his  arm,  des  lack  a  sharp  stick  be'n 
stuck  in  it.  Atter  dat  Tenie  sot  a  spar- 
rer-hawk  fer  ter  watch  de  tree  ;  en  w'en 
de  woodpecker  come  erlong  nex'  mawnin' 
fer  ter  finish  his  nes',  he  got  gobble'  up 
mos"fo'  he  stuck  his  bill  in  de  bark. 

"Nudder  time,  Mars  Marrabo  sent  a 
nigger  out  in  de  woods  fer  ter  chop  tup- 
pentime  boxes.  De  man  chop  a  box  in 
dish  yer  tree,  en  hack'  de  bark  up  two 
er  th'ee  feet,  fer  ter  let  de  tuppentime 
run.  De  nex'  time  Sandy  wuz  turnt 
back  he  had  a  big  skyar  on  his  lef  leg, 
des  lack  it  be'n  skunt ;  en  it  tuk  Tenie 
nigh  'bout  all  night  fer  ter  fix  a  mixtry 


50  The  Conjure   Woman 

ter  kyo  it  up.  Atter  dat,  Tenie  sot  a 
hawnet  fer  ter  watch  de  tree ;  en  w'en 
de  nigger  come  back  ag'in  fer  ter  cut 
ernudder  box  on  de  yuther  side'n  de 
tree,  de  hawnet  stung  'im  so  hard  dat 
de  ax  slip  en  cut  his  foot  nigh  'bout 
off. 

"  W'en  Tenie  see  so  many  things  hap- 
penin'  ter  de  tree,  she  'eluded  she  'd  ha' 
ter  turn  Sandy  ter  sump'n  e'se  ;  en  atter 
studyin'  de  matter  ober,  en  talkin'  wid 
Sandy  one  ebenin',  she  made  up  her 
mine  fer  ter  fix  up  a  goopher  mixtry 
w'at  would  turn  herse'f  en  Sandy  ter 
foxes,  er  sump'n,  so  dey  could  run  away 
en  go  some'rs  whar  dey  could  be  free 
en  lib  lack  w'ite  folks. 

"  But  dey  ain'  no  tellin'  w'at 's  gwine 
ter  happen  in  dis  worl'.  Tenie  had  got 
de  night  sot  fer  her  en  Sandy  ter  run 
away,  w'en  dat  ve'y  day  one  er  Mars 
Marrabo's  sons  rid  up  ter  de  big  house 
in  his  buggy,  en  say  his  wife  wuz  mon- 


Pd  Sandy  51 

st'us  sick,  en  he  want  his  mammy  ter 
len'  'im  a  'oman  fer  ter  nuss  his  wife. 
Tenie's  mistiss  say  sen'  Tenia ;  she  wuz 
a  good  nuss.  Young  mars  wuz  in  a  tar- 
rible  hurry  fer  ter  git  back  home.  Tenie 
wuz  washin'  at  de  big  house  dat  day,  en 
her  mistiss  say  she  should  go  right  'long 
wid  her  young  marster.  Tenie  tried 
ter  make  some  'scuse  fer  ter  git  away 
en  hide  'tel  night,  w'en  she  would  have 
eve'ything  fix'  up  fer  her  en  Sandy  ;  she 
say  she  wanter  go  ter  her  cabin  fer  ter 
git  her  bonnet.  Her  mistiss  say  it  dean 
matter  'bout  de  bonnet  ;  her  head-hank- 
cher  wuz  good  ernuff.  Den  Tenie  say 
she  wanter  git  her  bes'  frock  ;  her  mis- 
tiss say  no,  she  doan  need  no  mo'  frock, 
en  w'en  dat  one  got  dirty  she  could  git 
a  clean  one  whar  she  wuz  gwine.  So 
Tenie  had  ter  git  in  de  buggy  en  go 
'long  wid  young  Mars  Dunkin  ter  his 
plantation,  w'ich  wuz  mo'  d'n  twenty 
mile  away  ;  en  dey  wa'n't  no  chance  er 


52  The  Conjure   Woman 

her  seein'  Sandy  no  mo'  'tel  she  come 
back  home.  De  po'  gal  felt  monst'us 
bad  'bout  de  way  things  wuz  gwine  on, 
en  she  knowed  Sandy  mus'  be  a  won- 
d'rin'  why  she  didn'  come  en  turn  'im 
back  no  mo'. 

"Wiles  Tenie  wuz  away  nussin' 
young  Mars  Dunkin's  wife,  Mars  Mar- 
rabo  tuk  a  notion  fer  ter  buil'  'im  a 
noo  kitchen ;  en  bein'  ez  he  had  lots  er 
timber  on  his  place,  he  begun  ter  look 
'roun'  fer  a  tree  ter  hab  de  lumber  sawed 
out'n.  En  I  dunno  how  it  come  to  be 
so,  but  he  happen  fer  ter  hit  on  de  ve'y 
tree  w'at  Sandy  wuz  turnt  inter.  Tenie 
wuz  gone,  en  dey  wa'n't  nobody  ner 
nuffin  fer  ter  watch  de  tree. 

"  De  two  men  w'at  cut  de  tree  down 
say  dey  nebber  had  sech  a  time  wid  a 
tree  befo' :  dey  axes  would  glansh  off, 
en  did  n'  'pear  ter  make  no  progress 
thoo  de  wood  ;  en  of  all  de  creakin',  en 
shakin',  en  wobblin'  you  eber   see,  dat 


Pd  Sandy  53 

tree  done  it  w'en  it  commence'  ter  fall. 
It  wuz  de  beatenis'  thing  ! 

"W'en  dey  got  de  tree  all  trim'  up, 
dey  chain  it  up  ter  a  timber  waggin, 
en  start  fer  de  sawmill.  But  dey  had  a 
hard  time  gittin'  de  log  dere  :  fus'  dey 
got  stuck  in  de  mud  w'en  dey  wuz 
gwine  crosst  de  swamp,  en  it  wuz  two 
er  th'ee  hours  befo'  dey  could  git  out. 
W'en  dey  start'  on  ag'in,  de  chain  kep' 
a-comin'  loose,  en  dey  had  ter  keep 
a-stoppin'  en  a-stoppin'  fer  ter  hitch  de 
log  up  ag'in.  W'en  dey  commence'  ter 
climb  de  hill  ter  de  sawmill,  de  log 
broke  loose,  en  roll  down  de  hill  en  in 
'mongs'  de  trees,  en  hit  tuk  nigh  'bout 
half  a  day  mo'  ter  git  it  haul'  up  ter  de 
sawmill. 

"  De  nex'  mawnin'  atter  de  day  de 
tree  wuz  haul'  ter  de  sawmill,  Tenie 
come  home.  W'en  she  got  back  ter  her 
cabin,  de  fus'  thing  she  done  wuz  ter 
run  down  ter  de  woods  en  see  how  Sandy 


54  The  Conjure    Woman 

wuz  gittin'  on.  Wen  she  seed  de  stump 
standin'  dere,  wid  de  sap  runnin'  out'n 
it,  en  de  limbs  layin'  scattered  roun', 
she  nigh  'bout  went  out'n  her  min'.  She 
run  ter  her  cabin,  en  got  her  goopher 
mixtry,  en  den  follered  de  track  er  de 
timber  waggin  ter  de  sawmill.  She 
knowed  Sandy  could  n'  lib  mo'  d'n  a  min- 
ute er  so  ef  she  turnt  him  back,  fer  he 
wuz  all  chop'  up  so  he  'd  'a'  be'n  bleedst 
ter  die.  But  she  wanted  ter  turn  'im 
back  long  ernuff  fer  ter  'splain  ter  'im 
dat  she  had  n'  went  off  a-purpose,  en  lef 
'im  ter  be  chop'  down  en  sawed  up. 
She  did  n'  want  Sandy  ter  die  wid  no 
hard  feelin's  to'ds  her. 

"  De  ban's  at  de  sawmill  had  des  got 
de  big  log  on  de  kerridge,  en  wuz  start- 
in'  up  de  saw,  w'en  dey  seed  a  'oman 
runnin'  up  de  hill,  all  out  er  bref,  cryin' 
en  gwine  on  del  lack  she  wuz  plumb 
'stracted.  It  wuz  Tenie ;  she  come  right 
inter  de  mill,  en  th'owed  herse'f  on  de 


Pd  Sandy  55 

log,  right  in  front  er  de  saw,  a-hollerin' 
en  cryin'  ter  her  Sandy  ter  fergib  her, 
en  not  ter  think  hard  er  her,  fer  it  wa'n't 
no  fault  er  hern.  Den  Tenie  'membered 
de  tree  did  n'  hab  no  years,  en  she  wuz 
gittin'  ready  fer  ter  wuk  her  goopher 
mixtry  so  ez  ter  turn  Sandy  back,  w'en 
de  mill-hands  kotch  holt  er  her  en  tied 
her  arms  wid  a  rope,  en  fasten'  her  to 
one  er  de  posts  in  de  sawmill ;  en  den 
dey  started  de  saw  up  ag'in,  en  cut  de 
log  up  inter  bo'ds  en  scantlin's  right 
befo'  her  eyes.  But  it  wuz  mighty  hard 
wuk  ;  fer  of  all  de  sweekin',  en  moanin', 
en  groanin',  dat  log  done  it  w'iles  de 
saw  wuz  a-cuttin'  thoo  it.  De  saw  wuz 
one  er  dese  yer  ole-timey,  up-en-down 
saws,  en  hit  tuk  longer  dem  days  ter 
saw  a  log  'en  it  do  now.  Dey  greased 
de  saw,  but  dat  did  n'  stop  de  fuss  ;  hit 
kep'  right  on,  tel  fin'ly  dey  got  de  log 
all  sawed  up. 

"  W'en  de  oberseah  w'at  run  de  saw- 


56  The  Conjure   Woman 

mill  come  fum  breakfas',  de  ban's  up  en 
tell  him  'bout  de  crazy  'oman  —  ez  dey 
s'posed  she  wuz  —  w'at  had  come  run- 
nin'  in  de  sawmill,  a-hollerin'  en  gwine 
on,  en  tried  ter  th'ow  herse'f  befo'  de 
saw.  En  de  oberseah  sent  two  er  th'ee 
er  de  ban's  fer  ter  take  Tenie  back  ter 
her  marster's  plantation. 

"  Tenie  'peared  ter  be  out'n  her  min' 
fer  a  long  time,  en  her  marster  ha'  ter 
lock  her  up  in  de  smoke-'ouse  'tel  she 
got  ober  her  spells.  Mars  Marrabo  wuz 
monst'us  mad,  en  hit  would  'a'  made  yo' 
flesh  crawl  fer  ter  hear  him  cuss,  'caze  he 
say  de  spekilater  w'at  he  got  Tenie  fum 
had  fooled  'im  by  wukkin'  a  crazy  'oman 
off  on  him.  Wiles  Tenie  wuz  lock  up 
in  de  smoke-'ouse.  Mars  Marrabo  tuk  'n' 
haul  de  lumber  fum  de  sawmill,  en  put 
up  his  noo  kitchen. 

*'  Wen  Tenie  got  quiet'  down,  so  she 
could  be  'lowed  ter  go  'roun'  de  planta- 
tion, she  up'n'  tole  her  marster  all  erbout 


Pd  Sandy  57 

Sandy  en  de  pine-tree  ;  en  w'en  Mars 
Marrabo  hearn  it,  he  'lowed  she  wuz  de 
wuss  'stracted  nigger  he  eber  hearn  of. 
He  did  n'  know  w'at  ter  do  wid  Tenie : 
fus'  he  thought  he  'd  put  her  in  de  po'- 
house ;  but  fin'ly,  seein'  ez  she  did  n' 
do  no  harm  ter  nobody  ner  nuffin,  but 
des  went  'roun'  moan  in',  en  groanin',  en 
shakin'  her  head,  he  'eluded  ter  let  her 
stay  on  de  plantation  en  nuss  de  little 
nigger  chilluns  w'en  dey  mammies  wuz 
ter  wuk  in  de  cotton-fiel'. 

"  De  noo  kitchen  Mars  Marrabo  bull' 
wuz  n'  much  use,  fer  it  had  n'  be'n  put 
up  long  befo'  de  niggers  'mence'  ter  no- 
tice quare  things  erbout  it.  Dey  could 
hear  sump'n  moanin'  en  groanin'  'bout 
de  kitchen  in  de  night-time,  en  w'en  de 
win'  would  blow  dey  could  hear  sump'n 
a-hollerin'  en  sweekin'  lack  it  wuz  in 
great  pain  en  sufferin'.  En  it  got  so 
atter  a  w'ile  dat  it  wuz  all  Mars  Mar- 
rabo's  wife  could  do  ter  git  a  'oman  ter 


58  The  Conjure   Woman 

stay  in  de  kitchen  in  de  daytime  long 
ernuff  ter  do  de  cookin'  ;  en  dey  wa'n't 
naer  nigger  on  de  plantation  w'at  would  n' 
rudder  take  forty  dan  ter  go  'bout  dat 
kitchen  atter  dark,  —  dat  is,  'cep'n'  Te- 
nie  ;  she  did  n'  'pear  ter  min'  de  ha'nts. 
She  useter  slip  'roun'  at  night,  en  set 
on  de  kitchen  steps,  en  lean  up  agin  de 
do'-jamb,  en  run  on  ter  herse'f  wid  some 
kine  er  foolishness  w'at  nobody  could  n' 
make  out;  fer  Mars  Marrabo  had  th'eat- 
en'  ter  sen'  her  off'n  de  plantation  ef 
she  say  anything  ter  any  er  de  yuther 
niggers  'bout  de  pine-tree.  But  some- 
how er  'nudder  de  niggers  foun'  out  all 
erbout  it,  en  dey  all  knowed  de  kitchen 
wuz  ha'nted  by  Sandy's  sperrit.  En 
bimeby  hit  got  so  Mars  Marrabo's  wife 
herse'f  wuz  skeered  ter  go  out  in  de 
yard  atter  dark. 

"  Wen  it  come  ter  dat,  Mars  Marrabo 
tuk  en  to'  de  kitchen  down,  en  use'  de 
lumber  fer  ter  buil'  dat  ole  school' ouse 


Pd  Sandy  59 

w'at  you  er  talkin'  'bout  pullin'  down. 
De  school'ouse  wuz  n'  use'  'cep'n'  in  de 
daytime,  en  on  dark  nights  folks  gwine 
'long  de  road  would  hear  quare  soun's 
en  see  quare  things.  Po'  ole  Tenie  use- 
ter  go  down  dere  at  night,  en  wander 
'roun'  de  school'ouse  ;  en  de  niggers  all 
'lowed  she  went  fer  ter  talk  wid  Sandy's 
sperrit.  En  one  winter  mawnin',  w'en 
one  er  de  boys  went  ter  school  early  fer 
ter  start  de  fire,  w'at  should  he  fin'  but 
po'  ole  Tenie,  layin'  on  de  flo',  stiff,  en 
col',  en  dead.  Dere  did  n'  'pear  ter  be 
nuffin  pertickler  de  matter  wid  her,  — 
she  had  des  grieve'  herse'f  ter  def  fer 
her  Sandy.  Mars  Marrabo  did  n'  shed 
no  tears.  He  thought  Tenie  wuz  crazy, 
en  dey  wa'n't  no  tellin'  w'at  she  mought 
do  nex' ;  en  dey  ain'  much  room  in  dis 
worl'  fer  crazy  w'ite  folks,  let  'lone  a 
crazy  nigger. 

"  Hit  wa'n't  long  after  dat  befo'  Mars 
Marrabo  sol'  a  piece  er  his  track  er  Ian' 


6o  The  Conjure   Woman 

ter  Mars  Dugal'  McAdoo,  —  my  ole 
marster,  —  en  dat  's  how  de  ole  school- 
'ouse  happen  to  be  on  yo'  place.  Wen 
de  wah  broke  out,  de  school  stop',  en  de 
ole  school'ouse  be'n  stannin'  empty  ever 
sence,  —  dat  is,  'cep'n'  fer  de  ha'nts. 
En  folks  sez  dat  de  ole  school'ouse,  er 
any  yuther  house  w'at  got  any  er  dat 
lumber  in  it  w'at  wuz  sawed  out'n  de 
tree  w'at  Sandy  wuz  turnt  inter,  is  gwine 
ter  be  ha'nted  tel  de  las'  piece  er  plank 
is  rotted  en  crumble'  inter  dus'," 

Annie  had  listened  to  this  gruesome 
narrative  with  strained  attention. 

"What  a  system  it  was,"  she  ex- 
claimed, when  Julius  had  finished, 
"  under  which  such  things  were  pos- 
sible ! " 

"  What  things  } "  I  asked,  in  amaze- 
ment. "Are  you  seriously  considering 
the  possibility  of  a  man's  being  turned 
into  a  tree.!*" 

"Oh,  no,"  she  replied  quickly,  "not 


Pd  Sandy  6i 

that ;  "  and  then  she  murmured  absently, 
and  with  a  dim  look  in  her  fine  eyes, 
"  Poor  Tenie  !  " 

We  ordered  the  lumber,  and  returned 
home.  That  night,  after  we  had  gone 
to  bed,  and  my  wife  had  to  all  appear- 
ances been  sound  asleep  for  half  an 
hour,  she  startled  me  out  of  an  incipient 
doze  by  exclaiming  suddenly,  — 

"  John,  I  don't  believe  I  want  my  new 
kitchen  built  out  of  the  lumber  in  that 
old  schoolhouse." 

"  You  would  n't  for  a  moment  allow 
yourself,"  I  replied,  with  some  asperity, 
"to  be  influenced  by  that  absurdly  im- 
possible yarn  which  Julius  was  spinning 
to-day  ? " 

"  I  know  the  story  is  absurd,"  she 
replied  dreamily,  "and  I  am  not  so  silly 
as  to  believe  it.  But  I  don't  think  I 
should  ever  be  able  to  take  any  plea- 
sure in  that  kitchen  if  it  were  built  out 
of   that   lumber.     Besides,  I   think  the 


62  The  Conjure   Woman 

kitchen  would  look  better  and  last 
longer  if  the  lumber  were  all  new." 

Of  course  she  had  her  way.  I  bought 
the  new  lumber,  though  not  without 
grumbling.  A  week  or  two  later  I  was 
called  away  from  home  on  business. 
On  my  return,  after  an  absence  of  sev- 
eral days,  my  wife  remarked  to  me,  — 

"John,  there  has  been  a  split  in  the 
Sandy  Run  Colored  Baptist  Church,  on 
the  temperance  question.  About  half 
the  members  have  come  out  from  the 
main  body,  and  set  up  for  themselves. 
Uncle  Julius  is  one  of  the  seceders,  and 
he  came  to  me  yesterday  and  asked  if 
they  might  not  hold  their  meetings  in 
the  old  schoolhouse  for  the  present." 

"  I  hope  you  did  n't  let  the  old  rascal 
have  it,"  I  returned,  with  some  warmth. 
I  had  just  received  a  bill  for  the  new 
lumber  I  had  bought. 

"  Well,"  she  replied,  "  I  could  n't  re- 
fuse him  the  use  of  the  house  for  so 
good  a  purpose." 


Po    Sandy  6;^ 

"  And  I  '11  venture  to  say,"  I  contin- 
ued, "  that  you  subscribed  something 
toward  the  support  of  the  new  church  ?  " 

She  did  not  attempt  to  deny  it. 

"What  are  they  going  to  do  about 
the  ghost  ?  "  I  asked,  somewhat  curious 
to  know  how  Julius  would  get  around 
this  obstacle, 

"Oh,"  replied  Annie,  "Uncle  Julius 
says  that  ghosts  never  disturb  religious 
worship,  but  that  if  Sandy's  spirit  should 
happen  to  stray  into  meeting  by  mistake, 
no  doubt  the  preaching  would  do  it 
good." 


MARS   JEEMS'S   NIGHTMARE 

We  found  old  Julius  very  useful  when 
we  moved  to  our  new  residence.  He 
had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, was  familiar  with  the  roads 
and  the  watercourses,  knew  the  qualities 
of  the  various  soils  and  what  they  would 
produce,  and  where  the  best  hunting 
and  fishing  were  to  be  had.  He  was  a 
marvelous  hand  in  the  management  of 
horses  and  dogs,  with  whose  mental 
processes  he  manifested  a  greater  famil- 
iarity than  mere  use  would  seem  to  ac- 
count for,  though  it  was  doubtless  due 
to  the  simplicity  of  a  life  that  had  kept 
him  close  to  nature.  Toward  my  tract 
of  land  and  the  things  that  were  on  it 
—  the  creeks,  the  swamps,  the  hills,  the 
meadows,,   the    stones,   the    trees  —  he 


Alars  Jeemss  Nightmare  65 

maintained  a  peculiar  personal  attitude, 
that  might  be  called  predial  rather  than 
proprietary.  He  had  been  accustomed, 
until  long  after  middle  life,  to  look  upon 
himself  as  the  property  of  another. 
When  this  relation  was  no  longer  possi- 
ble, owing  to  the  war,  and  to  his  mas- 
ter's death  and  the  dispersion  of  the 
family,  he  had  been  unable  to  break  off 
entirely  the  mental  habits  of  a  lifetime, 
but  had  attached  himself  to  the  old 
plantation,  of  which  he  seemed  to  con- 
sider himself  an  appurtenance.  We 
found  him  useful  in  many  ways  and 
entertaining  in  others,  and  my  wife  and 
I  took  quite  a  fancy  to  him. 

Shortly  after  we  became  established 
in  our  home  on  the  sand-hills,  Julius 
brought  up  to  the  house  one  day  a 
colored  boy  of  about  seventeen,  whom 
he  introduced  as  his  grandson,  and  for 
whom  he  solicited  employment.  I  was 
not  favorably  impressed  by  the  youth's 


66  TJie  Cojijure    Woman 

appearance,  —  quite  the  contrary,  in  fact ; 
but  mainly  to  please  the  old  man  I 
hired  Tom  —  his  name  was  Tom  —  to 
help  about  the  stables,  weed  the  garden, 
cut  wood  and  bring  water,  and  in  gen- 
eral to  make  himself  useful  about  the 
outdoor  work  of  the  household. 

My  first  impression  of  Tom  proved  to 
be  correct.  He  turned  out  to  be  very 
trifling,  and  I  was  much  annoyed  by  his 
laziness,  his  carelessness,  and  his  ap- 
parent lack  of  any  sense  of  responsibility. 
I  kept  him  longer  than  I  should,  on 
Julius's  account,  hoping  that  he  might 
improve ;  but  he  seemed  to  grow  worse 
instead  of  better,  and  when  I  finally 
reached  the  limit  of  my  patience,  I  dis- 
charged him. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Julius,"  I  said  to  the  old 
man;  "  I  should  have  liked  to  oblige  you 
by  keeping  him  ;  but  I  can't  stand  Tom 
any  longer.  He  is  absolutely  untrust- 
worthy." 


Mars  Jeevts  s  Nightmare  6/ 

"Yas,  suh,"  replied  Julius,  with  a 
deep  sigh  and  a  long  shake  of  the  head, 
"  I  knows  he  ain'  much  account,  en  dey 
ain'  much  'pen'ence  ter  be  put  on  'im. 
But  I  wuz  hopin'  dat  you  mought  make 
some  'lowance  fuh  a'  ign'ant  young  nig- 
ger, suh,  en  gib  'im  one  mo'  chance." 

But  I  had  hardened  my  heart.  I  had 
always  been  too  easily  imposed  upon, 
and  had  suffered  too  much  from  this 
weakness.  I  determined  to  be  firm  as 
a  rock  in  this  instance. 

"  No,  Julius,"  I  rejoined  decidedly, 
*'  it  is  impossible.  I  gave  him  more  than 
a  fair  trial,  and  he  simply  won't  do." 

When  my  wife  and  I  set  out  for  our 
drive  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  —  after- 
noon is  "  evening  "  in  Southern  parlance, 
—  one  of  the  servants  put  into  the  rock- 
away  two  large  earthenware  jugs.  Our 
drive  was  to  be  down  through  the  swamp 
to  the  mineral  spring  at  the  foot  of  the 
sand-hills   beyond.     The  water  of  this 


68  The  Cojijure   Woman 

spring  was  strongly  impregnated  with 
sulphur  and  iron,  and,  while  not  particu- 
larly agreeable  of  smell  or  taste,  was 
used  by  us,  in  moderation,  for  sanitary 
reasons. 

When  we  reached  the  spring,  we  found 
a  man  engaged  in  cleaning  it  out.  In 
answer  to  an  inquiry  he  said  that  if  we 
would  wait  five  or  ten  minutes,  his  task 
would  be  finished  and  the  spring  in  such 
condition  that  we  could  fill  our  jugs. 
We  might  have  driven  on,  and  come 
back  by  way  of  the  spring,  but  there 
was  a  bad  stretch  of  road  beyond,  and 
we  concluded  to  remain  where  we  were 
until  the  spring  should  be  ready.  We 
were  in  a  cool  and  shady  place.  It  was 
often  necessary  to  wait  awhile  in  North 
Carolina  ;  and  our  Northern  energy  had 
not  been  entirely  proof  against  the  influ- 
ences of  climate  and  local  custom. 

While  we  sat  there,  a  man  came  sud- 
denly around  a  turn  of  the  road  ahead 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare         69 

of  us.  I  recognized  in  him  a  neigh- 
bor with  whom  I  had  exchanged  formal 
calls.  He  was  driving  a  horse,  appar- 
ently a  high-spirited  creature,  possess- 
ing, so  far  as  I  could  see  at  a  glance, 
the  marks  of  good  temper  and  good 
breeding  ;  the  gentleman,  I  had  heard 
it  suggested,  was  slightly  deficient  in 
both.  The  horse  was  rearing  and  plun- 
ging, and  the  man  was  beating  him 
furiously  with  a  buggy-whip.  When  he 
saw  us,  he  flushed  a  fiery  red,  and,  as 
he  passed,  held  the  reins  with  one  hand, 
at  some  risk  to  his  safety,  lifted  his  hat, 
and  bowed  somewhat  constrainedly  as 
the  horse  darted  by  us,  still  panting  and 
snorting  with  fear. 

"  He  looks  as  though  he  were  ashamed 
of  himself,"  I  observed. 

"  I  'm  sure  he  ought  to  be,"  exclaimed 
my  wife  indignantly.  "  I  think  there 
is  no  worse  sin  and  no  more  disgraceful 
thing  than  cruelty." 


70  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  I  assented. 

"  A  man  w'at  'buses  his  hoss  is  gwine 
ter  be  ha'd  on  de  folks  w'at  wuks  fer 
'im,"  remarked  Julius.  "  Ef  young  Mis- 
tah  McLean  doan  min',  he  '11  hab  a  bad 
dream  one  er  dese  days,  des  lack  'is 
gran  daddy  had  way  back  yander,  long 
yeahs  befo'  de  wah." 

"What  was  it  about  Mr.  McLean's 
dream,  Julius  ? "  I  asked.  The  man  had 
not  yet  finished  cleaning  the  spring,  and 
we  might  as  well  put  in  time  listening 
to  Julius  as  in  any  other  way.  We  had 
found  some  of  his  plantation  tales  quite 
interesting. 

"  Mars  Jeems  McLean,"  said  Julius, 
"  wuz  de  grandaddy  er  dis  yer  gent'e- 
man  w'at  is  des  gone  by  us  beatin'  his 
hoss.  He  had  a  big  plantation  en  a 
heap  er  niggers.  Mars  Jeems  wuz  a 
ha'd  man,  en  monst'us  stric'  wid  his 
ban's.  Eber  sence  he  growed  up  he 
nebber  'peared  ter  hab  no  feelin'  fer  no- 


Mars  Jeems^s  Nightmare  y  i 

body.  Wen  his  daddy,  ole  Mars  John 
McLean,  died,  de  plantation  en  all  de 
niggers  fell  ter  young  Mars  Jeems.  He 
had  be'n  bad  'nuff  befo',  but  it  wa'n't 
long  atterwa'ds  'tel  he  got  so  dey  wuz 
no  use  in  libbin'  at  all  ef  you  ha'  ter  lib 
roun'  Mars  Jeems.  His  niggers  wuz 
bleedzd  ter  slabe  fum  daylight  ter  da'k, 
w'iles  yuther  folks's  did  n'  hafter  wuk 
'cep'n'  fum  sun  ter  sun  ;  en  dey  did  n' 
git  no  mo'  ter  eat  dan  dey  oughter,  en 
dat  de  coa'ses'  kin'.  Dey  wa'n't  'lowed 
ter  sing,  ner  dance,  ner  play  de  banjo 
w'en  Mars  Jeems  wuz  roun'  de  place ; 
fer  Mars  Jeems  say  he  would  n'  hab  no 
sech  gwines-on,  —  said  he  bought  his 
ban's  ter  wuk,  en  not  ter  play,  en  w'en 
night  come  dey  mus'  sleep  en  res',  so 
dey  'd  be  ready  ter  git  up  soon  in  de 
mawnin'  en  go  ter  dey  wuk  fresh  en 
strong. 

"  Mars  Jeems  did  n'  'low  no  co'tin'  er 
juneseyin'   roun'   his   plantation,  —  said 


72  The  Conjure   Woman 

he  wanted  his  niggers  ter  put  dey  min's 
on  dey  wuk,  en  not  be  wastin'  dey  time 
wid  no  sech  foolis'ness.  En  he  would  n' 
let  his  han's  git  married,  —  said  he  wuz 
n'  raisin'  niggers,  but  wuz  raisin'  cot- 
ton. En  w'eneber  any  er  de  boys  en 
gals  'ud  'mence  ter  git  sweet  on  one 
ernudder,  he  'd  sell  one  er  de  yuther  un 
'em,  er  sen'  'em  way  down  in  Robeson 
County  ter  his  yuther  plantation,  whar 
dey  could  n'  nebber  see  one  ernudder. 

"  Ef  any  er  de  niggers  eber  com- 
plained, dey  got  fo'ty ;  so  co'se  dey 
did  n'  many  un  'em  complain.  But  dey 
did  n'  lack  it,  des  de  same,  en  nobody 
could  n*  blame  'em,  fer  dey  had  a  ha'd 
time.  Mars  Jeems  did  n'  make  no  'low- 
ance  fer  nachul  bawn  laz'ness,  ner  sick- 
ness, ner  trouble  in  de  min',  ner  nuffin  ; 
he  wuz  des  gwine  ter  git  so  much  wuk 
outer  eve'y  han',  er  know  de  reason  w'y. 

"  Dey  wuz  one  time  de  niggers  'lowed, 
fer  a  spell,  dat  Mars  Jeems  mought  git 


Mars  Jeems  s  Nightmare  73 

bettah.  He  tuk  a  lackin'  ter  Mars  Mar- 
rabo  McSwayne's  oldes'  gal,  Miss  Lib- 
bie,  en  useter  go  ober  dere  eve'y  day 
er  eve'y  ebenin',  en  folks  said  dey  wuz 
gwine  ter  git  married  sho'.  But  it  'pears 
dat  Miss  Libbie  beared  'bout  de  gwines- 
on  on  Mars  Jeems' s  plantation,  en  she  des 
'lowed  she  could  n'  trus'  herse'f  wid  no 
sech  a  man  ;  dat  he  mought  git  so  useter 
'busin'  his  niggers  dat  he  'd  'mence  ter 
'buse  his  wife  atter  he  got  useter  habbin' 
her  roun'  de  house.  So  she  'clared  she 
wuz  n'  gwine  ter  hab  nuffin  mo'  ter  do 
wid  young  Mars  Jeems. 

"De  niggers  wuz  all  monst'us  sorry 
w'en  de  match  wuz  bust'  up,  fer  now 
Mars  Jeems  got  wusser  'n  he  wuz  befo' 
he  sta'ted  sweethea'tin'.  De  time  he 
useter  spen'  co'tin'  Miss  Libbie  he  put 
in  findin'  fault  wid  de  niggers,  en  all  his 
bad  feelin's  'ca'se  Miss  Libbie  th'owed 
'im  ober  he  'peared  ter  try  ter  wuk  off 
on  de  po'  niggers. 


74  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  Wiles  Mars  Jeems  wuz  co'tin'  Miss 
Libbie,  two  er  de  ban's  on  de  plantation 
had  got  ter  settin'  a  beap  er  sto'  by  one 
ernudder.  One  un  'em  wuz  name'  Solo- 
mon, en  de  yuther  wuz  a  'oman  w'at 
wukked  in  de  fiel'  'long  er  'im  —  I  fe'git 
dat  'oman's  name,  but  it  doan  'mount 
ter  mucb  in  de  tale  nohow.  Now,  whu- 
ther  'ca'se  Mars  Jeems  wuz  so  tuk  up 
wid  his  own  junesey  dat  he  did  n'  paid 
no  'tention  fer  a  w'ile  ter  w'at  wuz  gwine 
on  'twix'  Solomon  en  bis  junesey,  er 
wbuther  his  own  co'tin'  made  'im  kin'  er 
easy  on  de  co'tin'  in  de  qua'ters,  dey 
ain'  no  tellin'.  But  dey 's  one  thing  sho', 
dat  w'en  Miss  Libbie  th'owed  'im  ober, 
he  foun'  out  'bout  Solomon  en  de  gal 
monst'us  quick,  en  gun  Solomon  fo'ty, 
en  sont  de  gal  down  ter  de  Robeson 
County  plantation,  en  tol'  all  de  niggers 
ef  he  ketch  'em  at  any  mo'  sech  foolish- 
ness, he  wuz  gwine  ter  skin  'em  alibe  en 
tan  dey  hides  befo'  dey  ve'y  eyes.    Co'se 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare  75 

he  would  n'  'a'  done  it,  but  he  mought  'a' 
made  things  wusser  'n  dey  wuz.  So  you 
kin  'magine  dey  wa'n't  much  lub-makin' 
in  de  qua'ters  fer  a  long  time. 

"  Mars  Jeems  useter  go  down  ter  de 
yuther  plantation  sometimes  fer  a  week 
er  mo',  en  so  he  had  ter  hab  a  oberseah 
ter  look  atter  his  wuk  w'iles  he  'uz  gone. 
Mars  Jeems's  oberseah  wuz  a  po'  w'ite 
man  name'  Nick  Johnson,  —  de  niggers 
called  'im  Mars  Johnson  ter  his  face,  but 
behin'  his  back  de,y  useter  call  'im  Ole 
Nick,  en  de  name  suited  'im  ter  a  T. 
He  wuz  wusser  'n  Mars  Jeems  ever  da'ed 
ter  be.  Co'se  de  darkies  did  n'  lack  de 
way  Mars  Jeems  used  'em,  but  he  wuz 
de  marster,  en  had  a  right  ter  do  ez  he 
please'  ;  but  dis  yer  Ole  Nick  wa'n't 
nuffin  but  a  po'  buckrah,  en  all  de  nig- 
gers 'spised  'im  ez  much  ez  dey  hated 
'im,  fer  he  didn'  own  nobody,  en  wa'n't 
no  bettah  'n  a  nigger,  fer  in  dem  days 
any  'spectable  pusson  would  ruther  be  a 
nigger  dan  a  po'  w'ite  man. 


76  The  Conjure   Woman 

*'  Now,  atter  Solomon's  gal  had  be'n 
sont  away,  he  kep'  feelin'  mo'  en  mo' 
bad  erbout  it,  'tel  fin'lly  he  'lowed  he 
wuz  gwine  ter  see  ef  dey  could  n'  be 
sump'n  done  fer  ter  git  'er  back,  en  ter 
make  Mars  Jeems  treat  de  darkies  bet- 
tah.  So  he  tuk  a  peck  er  co'n  out'n  de 
ba'n  one  night,  en  went  ober  ter  see  ole 
Aun'  Peggy,  de  free-nigger  cunjuh  'oman 
down  by  de  Wim'l'ton  Road. 

"  Aun'  Peggy  listen'  ter  'is  tale,  en 
ax'  him  some  queshtuns,  en  den  tol'  'im 
she  'd  wuk  her  roots,  en  see  w'at  dey  'd 
say  'bout  it,  en  ter-morrer  night  he  sh'd 
come  back  ag'in  en  fetch  ernudder  peck 
er  co'n,  en  den  she  'd  hab  sump'n  fer  ter 
tell  'im. 

"  So  Solomon  went  back  de  nex' 
night,  en  sho'  *nuff,  Aun'  Peggy  tol^  'im 
w'at  ter  do.  She  gun  'im  some  stuff 
w'at  look'  lack  it  be'n  made  by  poundin' 
up  some  roots  en  yarbs  wid  a  pestle  in  a 
mo' tar. 


Mars  Jeemss  Nightmare  yj 

"  *  Dis  yer  stuff,'  sez  she,  '  is  monst'us 
pow'ful  kin'  er  goopher.  You  take  dis 
home,  en  gin  it  ter  de  cook,  ef  you  kin 
trus'  her,  en  tell  her  fer  ter  put  it  in  yo' 
marster's  soup  de  fus'  cloudy  day  he  hab 
okra  soup  fer  dinnah.  Min'  you  follers 
de  d'rections.' 

"  *  It  ain'  gwineter  p'isen  'im,  is  it  ? ' 
ax'  Solomon,  gittin'  kin'  er  skeered  ;  fer 
Solomon  wuz  a  good  man,  en  did  n'  want 
ter  do  nobody  no  rale  ha'm. 

"  '  Oh,  no,'  sez  ole  Ann'  Peggy,  *  it 's 
gwine  ter  do  'im  good,  but  he  '11  hab  a 
monst'us  bad  dream  fus'.  A  mont'  fum 
now  you  come  down  heah  en  lemme 
know  how  de  goopher  is  wukkin'.  Fer 
I  ain'  done  much  er  dis  kin'  er  cunj'in' 
er  late  yeahs,  en  I  has  ter  kinder  keep 
track  un  it  ter  see  dat  it  doan  'complish 
no  mo'  d'n  I  'lows  fer  it  ter  do.  En  I 
has  ter  be  kinder  keerful  'bout  cunj'in' 
w'ite  folks  ;  so  be  sho'  en  lemme  know, 
w'ateber  you  do,  des  w'at  is  gwine  on 
roun'  de  plantation.' 


y8  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  So  Solomon  say  all  right,  en  tuk  de 
goopher  mixtry  up  ter  de  big  house  en 
gun  it  ter  de  cook,  en  tol'  her  fer  ter 
put  it  in  Mars  Jeems's  soup  de  fus' 
cloudy  day  she  hab  okra  soup  fer  din- 
nah.  It  happen'  dat  de  ve'y  nex'  day 
wuz  a  cloudy  day,  en  so  de  cook  made 
okra  soup  fer  Mars  Jeems's  dinnah,  en 
put  de  powder  Solomon  gun  her  inter 
de  soup,  en  made  de  soup  rale  good,  so 
Mars  Jeems  eat  a  whole  lot  of  it  en 
'peared  ter  enjoy  it. 

"  De  nex'  mawnin'  Mars  Jeems  tol'  de 
oberseah  he  wuz  gwine  'way  on  some 
bizness,  en  den  he  wuz  gwine  ter  his 
yuther  plantation,  down  in  Robeson 
County,  en  he  did  n'  'spec'  he  'd  be 
back  fer  a  mont'  er  so. 

"  *  But,'  sezee,  *  I  wants  you  ter  run 
dis  yer  plantation  fer  all  it's  wuth. 
Dese  yer  niggers  is  gittin'  monst'us 
triflin'  en  lazy  en  keerless,  en  dey  ain' 
no  'pen'ence  ter  be  put  in  'em.     I  wants 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare  79 

dat  stop',  en  w'iles  I  'm  gone  erway  I 
wants  de  'spenses  cut  'way  down  en  a 
heap  mo'  wuk  done.  Fac',  I  wants  dis 
yer  plantation  ter  make  a  reco'd  dat  '11 
show  w'at  kinder  oberseah  you  is.' 

"  Ole  Nick  did  n'  said  nuffin  but  '  Yas, 
suh,'  but  de  way  he  kinder  grin'  ter 
hisse'f  en  show'  his  big  yaller  teef,  en 
snap'  de  rawhide  he  useter  kyar  roun' 
wid  'im,  made  col'  chills  run  up  and 
down  de  backbone  er  dem  niggers  w'at 
beared  Mars  Jeems  a-talkin'.  En  dat 
night  dey  wuz  mo'nin'  en  groanin'  down 
in  de  qua'ters,  fer  de  niggers  all  knowed 
w'at  wuz  comin'. 

"  So,  sho'  'nuff,  Mars  Jeems  went 
erway  nex'  mawnin',  en  de  trouble  be- 
gun. Mars  Johnson  sta'ted  off  de  ve'y 
fus'  day  fer  ter  see  w'at  he  could  hab  ter 
show  Mars  Jeems  w'en  he  come  back. 
He  made  de  tasks  bigger  en  de  rashuns 
littler,  en  w'en  de  niggers  had  wukked 
all  day,  he  'd  fin'  sump'n  fer  'em  ter  do 


8o  TJie  Conjure    Woman 

roun'  de  ba'n  er  som'ers  atter  da'k,  fer 
ter  keep  'em  busy  a'  hour  er  so  befo' 
dey  went  ter  sleep. 

"About  th'ee  er  fo'  days  atter  Mars 
Jeems  went  erway,  young  Mars  Dunkin 
INIcSwayne  rode  up  ter  de  big  house  one 
day  wid  a  nigger  settin'  behin'  'im  in  de 
buggy,  tied  ter  de  seat,  en  ax*  ef  Mars 
Jeems  wuz  home.  Mars  Johnson  wuz 
at  de  house,  and  he  say  no. 

" '  Well,'  sez  Mars  Dunkin,  sezee,  *  I 
fotch  dis  nigger  ober  ter  Mistah  McLean 
fer  ter  pay  a  bet  I  made  wid  'im  las' 
week  w'en  we  wuz  playin'  kya'ds  te'ged- 
der.  I  bet  'im  a  nigger  man,  en  heah  's 
one  I  reckon  '11  fill  de  bill.  He  wuz  tuk 
up  de  yuther  day  fer  a  stray  nigger,  en 
he  could  n'  gib  no  'count  er  hisse'f,  en 
so  he  wuz  sol'  at  oction,  en  I  bought 
'im.  He  's  kinder  brash,  but  I  knows 
yo'  powers,  Mistah  Johnson,  en  I  reckon 
ef  anybody  kin  make  'im  toe  de  ma'k, 
you  is  de-man.' 


Mars  Jee77is  s  Nightmare  8i 

"  Mars  Johnson  grin'  one  er  dem  grins 
w'at  show'  all  his  snaggle  teef,  en  make 
de  niggers  'low  he  look  lack  de  ole  deb- 
bil,  en  sezee  ter  Mars  Dunkin  :  — 

" '  I  reckon  you  kin  trus'  me,  Mistah 
Dunkin,  fer  ter  tame  any  nigger  wuz 
eber  bawn.  De  nigger  doan  lib  w'at  I 
can't  take  down  in  'bout  fo'  days.' 

"  Well,  Ole  Nick  had  'is  ban's  full 
long  er  dat  noo  nigger ;  en  w'iles  de  res' 
er  de  darkies  wuz  sorry  fer  de  po'  man, 
dey  'lowed  he  kep'  Mars  Johnson  so 
busy  dat  dey  got  along  better  'n  dey  'd 
'a'  done  ef  de  noo  nigger  had  nebber 
come. 

"De  fus'  thing  dat  happen',  Mars 
Johnson  sez  ter  dis  yer  noo  man  :  — 

"  '  W'at  *s  yo'  name,  Sambo  .'' ' 

" '  My  name  ain'  Sambo,'  'spon'  de  noo 
nigger. 

" '  Did  I  ax  you  w'at  yo'  name  wa'n't .-' ' 
sez  Mars  Johnson,  '  You  wants  ter  be 
pa'tic'lar  how  you  talks  ter  me.     Now, 


82  The  Conjure   Woman 

w'at  is  yo'  name,  en  whar  did  you  come 
fum  ? ' 

"  *  I  dunno  my  name,'  sez  de  nigger, 
'  en  I  doan  'member  whar  I  come  fum. 
My  head  is  all  kin'  er  mix'  up.' 

"  '  Yas,'  sez  Mars  Johnson,  *  I  reckon 
I  '11  ha'  ter  gib  you  sump'n  fer  ter  cl'ar 
yo'  head.  At  de  same  time,  it  '11  I'arn 
you  some  manners,  en  atter  dis  mebbe 
you  '11  say  "  suh  "  w'en  you  speaks  ter 
me.' 

"  Well,  Mars  Johnson  haul'  off  wid 
his  rawhide  en  hit  de  noo  nigger  once. 
De  noo  man  look'  at  Mars  Johnson  fer  a 
minute  ez  ef  he  did  n'  know  w'at  ter  make 
er  dis  yer  kin'  er  I'arnin',  But  w'en  de 
oberseah  raise'  his  w'ip  ter  hit  him  ag'in, 
de  POO  nigger  des  haul'  off  en  made  fer 
Mars  Johnson,  en  ef  some  er  de  yuther 
niggers  had  n'  stop'  'im,  it  'peared  ez  ef 
he  raought  'a'  made  it  wa'm  fer  Ole  Nick 
dere  fer  a  w'ile.  But  de  oberseah  made 
de  yuther-  niggers  he'p  tie  de  noo  nigger 


Mars  Jeans' s  Nightmare  83 

up,  en  den  gun  'im  fo'ty,  wid  a  dozen  er 
so  th'owed  in  fer  good  measure,  fer  Ole 
Nick  wuz  nebber  stingy  wid  dem  kin'  er 
rashuns.  De  nigger  went  on  at  a  tar- 
rable  rate,  des  lack  a  wil'  man,  but  co'se 
he  wuz  bleedzd  ter  take  his  med'cine, 
fer  he  wuz  tied  up  en  could  n'  he'p  his- 
se'f. 

"  Mars  Johnson  lock'  de  noo  nigger 
up  in  de  ba'n,  en  did  n'  gib  'im  nuffin  ter 
eat  fer  a  day  er  so,  'tel  he  got  'im  kin'er 
quiet'  down,  en  den  he  tu'nt  'im  loose 
en  put  'im  ter  wuk.  De  nigger  'lowed 
he  wa'n't  useter  wukkin',  en  would  n' 
wuk,  en  Mars  Johnson  gun  'im  anudder 
fo'ty  fer  laziness  en  impidence,  en  let 
'im  fas'  a  day  er  so  mo',  en  den  put  'im 
ter  wuk  ag'in.  De  nigger  went  ter  wuk, 
but  did  n'  'pear  ter  know  how  ter  han'le 
a  hoe.  It  tuk  des  'bout  half  de  ober- 
seah's  time  lookin'  atter  'im,  en  dat  po' 
nigger  got  mo'  lashin's  en  cussin's  en 
cufhn's  dan  any  fo'  yuthers  on  de  planta- 


84  TJie  Conjure   Woman 

tion.  He  did  n'  mix'  wid  ner  talk  much 
ter  de  res'  er  de  niggers,  en  could  n* 
'pear  ter  git  it  th'oo  his  min'  dat  he  wuz 
a  slabe  en  had  ter  wuk  en  min'  de  w'ite 
folks,  spite  er  de  fac'  dat  Ole  Nick  gun 
'im  a  lesson  eve'y  day.  En  fin'lly  Mars 
Johnson  'lowed  dat  he  could  n'  do  nuffin 
wid  'im  ;  dat  ef  he  wuz  his  nigger,  he  'd 
break  his  sperrit  er  break  'is  neck,  one 
er  de  yuther.  But  co'se  he  wuz  only 
sont  ober  on  trial,  en  ez  he  did  n'  gib 
sat'sfaction,  en  he  had  n'  beared  fum 
Mars  Jeems  'bout  w'en  he  wuz  comin' 
back ;  en  ez  he  wuz  feared  he  'd  git  mad 
some  time  er  'nuther  en  kill  de  nigger 
befo'  he  knowed  it,  he  'lowed  he  'd  bet- 
ter sen'  'im  back  whar  he  come  fum. 
So  be  tied  'im  up  en  sont  'im  back  ter 
Mars  Dunkin. 

"  Now,  Mars  Dunkin  McSwayne  wuz 
one  er  dese  yer  easy-gwine  gent'emen 
w'at  did  n'  lack  ter  hab  no  trouble  wid 
niggers  er.  nobody  e'se,  en  he  knowed  ef 


Mars  Jecms  s  Nightmare  85 

Mars  Ole  Nick  could  n'  git  'long  wid 
dis  nigger,  nobody  could.  So  he  tuk  de 
nigger  ter  town  dat  same  day,  en  sol' 
'im  ter  a  trader  w'at  wuz  gittin'  up  a 
gang  er  lackly  niggers  fer  ter  ship  off  on 
de  steamboat  ter  go  down  de  ribber  ter 
Wim'l'ton  en  fum  dere  ter  Noo  Orleens. 

"  De  nex'  day  atter  de  noo  man  had 
be'n  sont  away,  Solomon  wuz  wukkin* 
in  de  cotton-fiel',  en  w'en  he  got  ter  de 
fence  nex'  ter  de  woods,  at  de  een'  er 
de  row,  who  sh'd  he  see  on  de  yuther 
side  but  ole  Aun'  Peggy.  She  beckon' 
ter  'im,  —  de  oberseah  wuz  down  on  de 
yuther  side  er  de  fiel',  —  en  sez  she  :  — 

"' W'y  ain'  you  done  come  en  'po'ted 
ter  me  lack  I  toF  you  t ' 

"  '  W'y,  law  !  Aun'  Peggy,'  sez  Solo- 
mon, 'dey  ain'  nuffin  ter  'po't.  Mars 
Jeems  went  away  de  day  atter  we  gun 
'im  de  goopher  mixtry,  en  we  ain'  seed 
hide  ner  hair  un  'im  sence,  en  co'se  we 
doan  know  nufQn  'bout  w'at  'fee'  it  had 
on  'im.' 


86  TJie  Conjure    Woman 

"  *  I  doan  keer  nuffin  'bout  yo'  Mars 
Jeems  now  ;  w'at  I  wants  ter  know  is 
w'at  is  be'n  gwine  on  'mongs'  de  nig- 
gers. Has  you  be'n  gittin'  'long  any 
better  on  de  plantation  ? ' 

"'No,  Aun'  Peggy,  we  be'n  gittin' 
'long  wusser.  Mars  Johnson  is  stric'er 
'n  he  eber  wuz  befo',  en  de  po'  niggers 
doan  ha'dly  git  time  ter  draw  dey  bref, 
en  dey  'lows  dey  mought  des  ez  well  be 
dead  ez  alibe.' 

"  '  Uh  huh  ! '  sez  Aun'  Peggy,  sez  she, 
*I  tol'  you  dat  'uz  monst'us  pow'ful 
goopher,  en  its  wuk  doan  'pear  all  at 
once.' 

"  *  Long  ez  we  had  dat  noo  nigger 
heah,'  Solomon  went  on,  '  he  kep'  Mars 
Johnson  busy  pa't  er  de  time ;  but  now 
he  's  gone  erway,  I  s'pose  de  res'  un  us 
'11  ketch  it  wusser  'n  eber.' 

" '  W'at 's  gone  wid  de  noo  nigger  .'* ' 
sez  Aun'  Peggy,  rale  quick,  battin'  her 
eyes  en  str-aight'nin'  up. 


Mars  Jeems  s  NigJitmare  87 

" '  Ole  Nick  done  sont  'im  back  ter 
Mars  Dunkin,  who  had  fotch  'im  heah 
fer  ter  pay  a  gamblin'  debt  ter  Mars 
Jeems,'  sez  Solomon,  '  en  I  heahs  Mars 
Dunkin  has  sol'  'im  ter  a  nigger-trader 
up  in  Patesville,  w'at  's  gwine  ter  ship 
'im  off  wid  a  gang  ter-morrer.' 

"  Ole  Aun'  Peggy  'peared  ter  git  rale 
stirred  up  w'en  Solomon  tol'  'er  dat,  en 
sez  she,  shakin'  her  stick  at  'im  :  — 

" '  W'y  did  n'  you  come  en  tell  me 
'bout  dis  noo  nigger  bein'  sol'  erway  ? 
Did  n'  you  promus  me,  ef  I  'd  gib  you 
dat  goopher,  you  'd  come  en  'po't  ter  me 
'bout  all  w'at  wuz  gwine  on  on  dis  plan- 
tation ?  Co'se  I  could  'a'  foun'  out  fer 
myse'f,  but  I  'pended  on  yo'  tellin'  me, 
en  now  by  not  doin'  it  I 's  feared  you 
gwine  spile  my  cunj'in'.  You  come 
down  ter  my  house  ter-night  en  do  w'at 
I  tells  you,  er  I  '11  put  a  spell  on  you 
dat  '11  make  yo'  ha'r  fall  out  so  you  '11  be 
bal',  en  yo'  eyes  drap  out  so  you  can't 


The  Conjure    Woman 


see,  en  yo  teef  fall  out  so  you  can't  eat, 
en  yo'  years  grow  up  so  you  can't  heah. 
Wen  you  is  foolin'  wid  a  cunjuh  'oman 
lack  me,  you  got  ter  min'  yo'  P's  en  Q's 
er  dey  '11  be  trouble  sho'  'nuff.' 

"  So  co'se  Solomon  went  down  ter 
Aun'  Peggy's  dat  night,  en  she  gun  'im 
a  roasted  sweet'n'  'tater. 

"  *  You  take  dis  yer  sweet'n'  'tater,' 
sez  she,  —  '  I  done  goophered  it  'speshly 
fer  dat  noo  nigger,  so  you  better  not  eat 
it  yo'se'f  er  you  '11  wush  you  had  n',  — 
en  slip  off  ter  town,  en  fin'  dat  strange 
man,  en  gib  'im  dis  yer  sweet'n'  'tater. 
He  mus'  eat  it  befo'  mawnin',  sho',  ef 
he  doan  wanter  be  sol'  erway  ter  Noo 
Orleens.' 

"  *  But  s'posen  de  patteroles  ketch  me, 
Aun'  Peggy,  w'at  I  gwine  ter  do  ? '  sez 
Solomon. 

"  *  De  patteroles  ain'  gwine  tech  you, 
but  ef  you  doan  fin'  dat  nigger,  I'jn 
gwine  git  you,  en  you  '11  fin'  me  wusser  'n 


Mars  Jeems^ s  Nightina7'e  89 

de  patteroles.  Des  hoi'  on  a  minute,  en 
I  '11  sprinkle  you  wid  some  er  dis  mixtry 
out'n  dis  yer  bottle,  so  de  patteroles 
can't  see  you,  en  you  kin  rub  yo*  feet 
wid  some  er  dis  yer  grease  out'n  dis 
go'd,  so  you  kin  run  fas',  en  rub  some 
un  it  on  yo'  eyes  so  you  kin  see  in  de 
da'k  ;  en  den  you  mus'  fin'  dat  noo  nig- 
ger en  gib  'im  dis  yer  'tater,  er  you 
gwine  ter  hab  mo'  trouble  on  yo'  ban's 
'n  you  eber  had  befo'  in  yo'  life  er  eber 
will  hab  sence.' 

"  So  Solomon  tuk  de  sweet'n'  'tater  en 
sta'ted  up  de  road  fas'  ez  he  could  go, 
en  befo'  long  he  retch'  town.  He  went 
right  'long  by  de  patteroles,  en  dey  did  n' 
'pear  ter  notice  'im,  en  bimeby  he  foun' 
whar  de  strange  nigger  was  kep',  en  he 
walked  right  pas'  de  gyard  at  de  do'  en 
foun'  'im.  De  nigger  could  n'  see  'im, 
ob  co'se,  en  he  could  n'  'a'  seed  de  nig- 
ger in  de  da'k,  ef  it  had  n'  be'n  fer  de 
stuff  Aun'  Peggy  gun  'im  ter  rub  on  'is 


90  The  Conjure    Woman 

eyes.  De  nigger  wuz  layin'  in  a  co'nder, 
'sleep,  en  Solomon  des  slip'  up  ter  'im, 
en  hilt  dat  sweet'n*  'tater  'fo*  de  nigger's 
nose,  en  he  des  nach'ly  retch'  up  wid 
his  han',  en  tuk  de  'tater  en  eat  it  in  his 
sleep,  widout  knowin'  it.  Wen  Solo- 
mon seed  he  'd  done  eat  de  'tater,  he 
went  back  en  tol'  Aun'  Peggy,  en  den 
went  home  ter  his  cabin  ter  sleep,  'way 
'long  'bout  two  o'clock  in  de  mawnin'. 

"  De  nex'  day  wuz  Sunday,  en  so  de 
niggers  had  a  little  time  ter  deyse'ves. 
Solomon  wuz  kinder  'sturb'  in  his  min' 
thinkin'  'bout  his  junesey  w'at  'uz  gone 
away,  en  wond'rin'  w'at  Aun'  Peggy  had 
ter  do  wid  dat  noo  nigger ;  en  he  had 
sa'ntered  up  in  de  woods  so  's  ter  be  by 
hissc'f  a  little,  en  at  de  same  time  ter 
look  atter  a  rabbit-trap  he  'd  sot  down  in 
de  aidge  er  de  swamp,  w'en  who  sh'd  he 
see  stan'in'  unner  a  tree  but  a  w'ite  man. 

"  Solomon  did  n'  knowed  de  w'ite  man 
at  fus',  'tel-de  w'ite  man  spoke  up  ter  'im. 


Mars  Jeems  s  Nightmare  91 

"  '  Is  dat  you,  Solomon  ? '  sezee. 

"  Den  Solomon   reco'nized  de  voice. 

"  *  Fer  de  Lawd's  sake,  Mars  Jeems  ! 
is  dat  you  ? ' 

"  *  Yas,  Solomon,'  sez  his  marster, 
*  dis  is  me,  er  w'at  's  lef  er  me.' 

"  It  wa'n't  no  wonder  Solomon  had  n' 
knowed  Mars  Jeems  at  fus',  fer  he  wuz 
dress'  lack  a  po'  w'ite  man,  en  wuz  bare- 
footed, en  look'  monst'us  pale  en  peaked, 
ez  ef  he'd  des  come  th'oo  a  ha'd  spell  er 
sickness. 

"  '  You  er  lookin'  kinder  po'ly.  Mars 
Jeems,'  sez  Solomon.  '  Is  you  be'n 
sick,  suh  } ' 

" '  No,  Solomon,'  sez  Mars  Jeems, 
shakin'  his  head,  en  speakin'  sorter  slow 
en  sad,  '  I  ain'  be'n  sick,  but  I 's  had  a 
monst'us  bad  dream,  —  fac',  a  reg'lar, 
nach'ul  nightmare.  But  tell  me  how 
things  has  be'n  gwine  on  up  ter  de  plan- 
tation sence  I  be'n  gone,  Solomon.' 

"  So  Solomon  up  en  tol'  'im  'bout  de 


92  The  Conjure   Woman 

craps,  en  'bout  de  bosses  en  de  mules, 
en  'bout  de  cows  en  de  hawgs.  En 
w'en  he  'mence'  ter  tell  'bout  de  noo 
nigger.  Mars  Jeems  prick'  up  'is  yeahs 
en  listen',  en  eve'y  now  en  den  he  'd  say, 
'  Uh  huh  !  uh  huh !  '  en  nod  'is  head. 
En  bimeby,  w'en  he  'd  ax'  Solomon  some 
mo'  queshtuns,  he  sez,  sezee  :  — 

"  '  Now,  Solomon,  I  doan  want  you 
ter  say  a  wo'd  ter  nobody  'bout  meetin' 
me  heah,  but  I  wants  you  ter  slip  up  ter 
de  house,  en  fetch  me  some  clo's  en 
some  shoes,  —  I  fergot  ter  tell  you  dat 
a  man  rob'  me  back  yander  on  de  road 
en  swap'  clo's  wid  me  widout  axin'  me 
whuther  er  no, — but  you  neenter  say 
nuffin  'bout  dat,  nuther.  You  go  en 
fetch  me  some  clo's  heah,  so  nobody 
won't  see  you,  en  keep  yo'  mouf  shet, 
en  I  '11  gib  you  a  dollah.' 

"  Solomon  wuz  so  'stonish'  he  lack  ter 
fell  ober  in  his  tracks,  w'en  Mars  Jeems 
promus'  ter  gib  'im  a  dollah.       Dey  su'- 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare  93 

t'nly  wuz  a  change  come  ober  Mars 
Jeems,  w'en  he  offer'  one  er  his  niggers 
dat  much  money.  Solomon  'mence'  ter 
'spec'  dat  Aun'  Peggy's  cunj'ation  had 
be'n  wukkin'  monst'us  strong. 

"  Solomon  fotch  Mars  Jeems  some 
clo's  en  shoes,  en  dat  same  eb'nin'  Mars 
Jeems  'peared  at  de  house,  en  let  on  lack 
he  des  dat  minute  got  home  fum  Robe- 
son County.  Mars  Johnson  was  all 
ready  ter  talk  ter  'im,  but  Mars  Jeems 
sont  'im  wo'd  he  wa'n't  feelin'  ve'y  well 
dat  night,  en  he  'd  see  'im  ter-morrer. 

"  So  nex'  mawnin'  atter  breakfus' 
Mars  Jeems  sont  fer  de  oberseah,  en  ax' 
'im  fer  ter  gib  'count  er  his  styoa'd- 
ship.  Ole  Nick  tol'  Mars  Jeems  how 
much  wuk  be'n  done,  en  got  de  books 
en  showed  'im  how  much  money  be'n 
save'.  Den  Mars  Jeems  ax'  'im  how  de 
darkies  be'n  behabin',  en  Mars  Johnson 
say  dey  be'n  behabin'  good,  most  un 
'em,  en  dem  w'at  did  n'  behabe  good  at 


94  The  Conjure   Woman 

fus'  change  dey  conduc'  atter  he  got 
holt  un  'em  a  time  er  two. 

"'All,'  sezee,  * 'cep'n'  de  noo  nigger 
Mistah  Dunkin  fotch  ober  heah  en  lef 
on  trial,  w'iles  you  wuz  gone.' 

"  *  Oh,  yas,'  'lows  Mars  Jeems,  '  tell 
me  all  'bout  dat  noo  nigger.  I  beared  a 
little  'bout  dat  quare  noo  nigger  las' 
night,  en  it  wuz  des  too  redik'lus.  Tell 
me  all  'bout  dat  noo  nigger.' 

"So  seein'  Mars  Jeems  so  good-na- 
chu'd  'bout  it,  Mars  Johnson  up  en  tol' 
'im  how  he  tied  up  de  noo  han'  de  fus' 
day  en  gun  'im  fo'ty  'ca'se  he  would  n' 
tell  'im  'is  name. 

"  *  Ha,  ha,  ha  ! '  sez  Mars  Jeems,  laf- 
fin'  fit  ter  kill,  '  but  dat  is  too  funny  f er 
any  use.  Tell  me  some  mo'  'bout  dat 
noo  nigger.' 

"  So  Mars  Johnson  went  on  en  tol' 
'im  how  he  had  ter  starbe  de  noo  nigger 
'fo'  he  could  make  'im  take  holt  er  a 
hoe. 


Mars  Jeeins's  Nightmare         95 

"  *  Dat  wuz  de  beatinis'  notion  fer  a 
nigger,'  sez  Mars  Jeems,  '  puttin'  on  airs, 
des  lack  he  wuz  a  w'ite  man !  En  I 
reckon  you  did  n'  do  nuffin  ter  'im  ? ' 

" '  Oh,  no,  suh,'  sez  de  oberseah,  grin- 
nin'  lack  a  chessy-cat,  '  I  did  n'  do  nuffin 
but  take  de  hide  off' n  'im.' 

"Mars  Jeems  lafft  en  lafft,  'tel  it 
'peared  lack  he  wuz  des  gwine  ter  bu'st. 
*  Tell  me  some  mo'  'bout  dat  noo  nig- 
ger, oh,  tell  me  some  mo'.  Dat  noo 
nigger  int'rusts  me,  he  do,  en  dat  is  a 
fac'.' 

"  Mars  Johnson  did  n'  quite  un'erstan' 
w'y  Mars  Jeems  sh'd  make  sich  a  great 
'miration  'bout  de  noo  nigger,  but  co'se 
he  want'  ter  please  de  gent'eman  w'at 
hi'ed  'im,  en  so  he  'splain'  all  'bout  how 
many  times  he  had  ter  cowhide  de  noo 
nigger,  en  how  he  made  'im  do  tasks 
twicet  ez  big  ez  some  er  de  yuther  ban's, 
en  how  he  'd  chain  'im  up  in  de  ba'n  at 
night  en  feed  'im  on  co'n-bread  en  water. 


96  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  *  Oh !  but  you  is  a  monst'us  good 
oberseah  ;  you  is  de  bes'  oberseah  in 
dis  county,  Mistah  Johnson,'  sez  Mars 
Jeems,  w'en  de  oberseah  got  th'oo  wid 
his  tale  ;  *  en  dey  ain'  nebber  be'n  no  nig- 
ger-breaker lack  you  roun'  heah  befo'. 
En  you  desarbes  great  credit  fer  sendin' 
dat  nigger  'way  befo'  you  sp'ilt  'im  fer 
de  market.  Fac',  you  is  sech  a  monst'us 
good  oberseah,  en  you  is  got  dis  yer 
plantation  in  sech  fine  shape,  dat  I 
reckon  I  doan  need  you  no  mo'.  You 
is  got  dese  yer  darkies  so  well  train'  dat 
I  'spec'  I  kin  run  'em  myse'f  fum  dis 
time  on.  But  I  does  wush  you  had  'a' 
hilt  on  ter  dat  noo  nigger  'eel  I  got 
home,  fer  I  'd  'a'  lack  ter  'a'  seed  'im,  I 
su't'nly  should.' 

"  De  oberseah  wuz  so  'stonish'  he 
did  n'  ha'dly  know  w'at  ter  say,  but 
fin'lly  he  ax'  Mars  Jeems  ef  he  would  n' 
gib  'im  a  riccommen'  fer  ter  git  ernudder 
place.      -     . 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare  97 

"  *  No,  suh,'  sez  Mars  Jeems,  *  some- 
how er  'nuther  I  doan  lackyo'  looks  sence 
I  come  back  dis  time,  en  I  'd  much 
ruther  you  would  n'  stay  roun'  heah. 
Fac',  I 's  feared  ef  I  'd  meet  you  alone  in 
de  woods  some  time,  I  mought  wanter 
ha'm  you.  But  layin'  dat  aside,  I  be'n 
lookin'  ober  dese  yer  books  er  yo'n  w'at 
you  kep'  w'iles  I  wuz  'way,  en  fer  a  yeah 
er  so  back,  en  dere  's  some  figgers  w'at 
ain'  des  cl'ar  ter  me.  I  ain'  got  no  time 
fer  ter  talk  'bout  'em  now,  but  I  'spec' 
befo'  I  settles  wid  you  fer  dis  las'  mont', 
you  better  come  up  heah  ter-morrer, 
atter  I 's  look'  de  books  en  'counts  ober 
some  mo',  en  den  we  '11  straighten  ou' 
business  all  up.' 

"  Mars  Jeems  'lowed  atterwa'ds  dat 
he  wuz  des  shootin'  in  de  da'k  w'en  he 
said  dat  'bout  de  books,  but  howsom- 
eber,  Mars  Nick  Johnson  lef  dat  naber- 
hood  'twix'  de  nex'  two  suns,  en  nobody 
roun'  dere  nebber   seed   hide   ner  hair 


98  The  Conjure   Woman 

un  'im  sence.  En  all  de  darkies  t'ank 
de  Lawd,  en  'lowed  it  wuz  a  good  rid- 
dance er  bad  rubbage. 

"  But  all  dem  things  I  done  tol'  you 
ain'  nuffin  'side'n  de  change  w'at  come 
ober  Mars  Jeems  fum  dat  time  on. 
Aun'  Peggy's  goopher  had  made  a  noo 
man  un  'im  enti'ely.  De  nex'  day  atter 
he  come  back,  he  tol'  de  ban's  dey  neen- 
ter  wuk  on'y  fum  sun  ter  sun,  en  he  cut 
dey  tasks  down  so  dey  did  n'  nobody 
hab  ter  stan'  ober  'em  wid  a  rawhide  er 
a  hick'ry.  En  he  'lowed  ef  de  niggers 
want  ter  hab  a  dance  in  de  big  ba'n  any 
Sad'day  night,  dey  mought  hab  it.  En 
bimeby,  w'en  Solomon  seed  how  good 
Mars  Jeems  wuz,  he  ax'  'im  ef  he  would 
n'  please  sen'  down  ter  de  yuther  plan- 
tation fer  his  junesey.  Mars  Jeems  say 
su't'nly,  en  gun  Solomon  a  pass  en  a 
note  ter  de  oberseah  on  de  yuther  plan- 
tation, en  sont  Solomon  down  ter  Robe- 
son County  wid  a  boss  en  buggy  fer  ter 


Mars  Jeems's  Nightmare         99 

fetch  his  junesey  back.  Wen  de  nig- 
gers see  how  fine  Mars  Jeems  gwine 
treat  'em,  dey  all  tuk  ter  sweethea'tin' 
en  juneseyin'  en  singin'  en  dancin',  en 
eight  er  ten  couples  got  married,  en 
bimeby  eve'ybody  'mence'  ter  say  Mars 
Jeems  McLean  got  a  finer  plantation, 
en  slicker-lookin'  niggers,  en  dat  he  'uz 
makin'  mo'  cotton  en  co'n,  dan  any 
yuther  gent'eman  in  de  county.  En 
Mars  Jeems's  own  junesey.  Miss  Libbie, 
beared  'bout  de  noo  gwines-on  on  Mars 
Jeems's  plantation,  en  she  change'  her 
min'  'bout  Mars  Jeems  en  tuk  'im  back 
ag'in,  en  'fo'  long  dey  had  a  fine  weddin', 
en  all  de  darkies  had  a  big  feas*,  en  dey 
wuz  fiddlin'  en  dancin'  en  funnin'  en 
frolic' in'  fum  sundown  'tel  mawnin'." 

"And  they  all  lived  happy  ever  after," 
I  said,  as  the  old  man  reached  a  full  stop. 

"  Yas,  suh,"  he  said,  interpreting  my 
remarks  as  a  question,  "  dey  did.  Solo- 
mon useter  say,"  he  added,  "  dat  Aun' 


100  The  Conjure   Woman 

Peggy's  goopher  had  turnt  Mars  Jeems 
ter  a  nigger,  en  dat  dat  noo  han'  wuz 
Mars  Jeems  hisse'f.  But  co'se  Solomon 
did  n'  das'  ter  let  on  'bout  w'at  he  'spi- 
cioned,  en  ole  Aun'  Peggy  would  'a'  'nied 
ef  she  had  be'n  ax',  fer  she  'd  'a'  got  in 
trouble  sho',  ef  it  'uz  knowed  she  'd  be'n 
cunj'in'  de  w'ite  folks. 

"  Dis  yer  tale  goes  ter  show,"  con- 
cluded Julius  sententiously,  as  the  man 
came  up  and  announced  that  the  spring 
was  ready  for  us  to  get  water,  "  dat 
w'ite  folks  w'at  is  so  ha'd  en  stric',  en 
doan  make  no  'lowance  fer  po'  ign'ant 
niggers  w'at  ain'  had  no  chanst  ter  I'arn, 
is  li'ble  ter  hab  bad  dreams,  ter  say  de 
leas',  en  dat  dem  w'at  is  kin'  en  good 
ter  po'  people  is  sho'  ter  prosper  en  git 
'long  in  de  worl'." 

"  That  is  a  very  strange  story,  Uncle 
Julius,"  observed  my  wife,  smiling,  "  and 
Solomon's  explanation  is  quite  improb- 
able."      - 


Mars  Jeemss  Nightmare        loi 

"  Yes,  Julius,"  said  I,  "  that  was 
powerful  goopher.  I  am  glad,  too,  that 
you  told  us  the  moral  of  the  story  ;  it 
might  have  escaped  us  otherwise.  By 
the  way,  did  you  make  that  up  all  by 
yourself  ? " 

The  old  man's  face  assumed  an  in- 
jured look,  expressive  more  of  sorrow 
than  of  anger,  and  shaking  his  head  he 
replied  :  — 

"  No,  suh,  I  heared  dat  tale  befo'  you 
er  Mis'  Annie  dere  wuz  bawn,  suh.  My 
mammy  tol'  me  dat  tale  w'en  I  wa'n't 
mo'  d'n  knee-high  ter  a  hopper-grass." 

I  drove  to  town  next  morning,  on 
some  business,  and  did  not  return  until 
noon  ;  and  after  dinner  I  had  to  visit 
a  neighbor,  and  did  not  get  back  until 
supper-time.  I  was  smoking  a  cigar  on 
the  back  piazza  in  the  early  evening, 
when  I  saw  a  familiar  figure  carrying  a 
bucket  of  water  to  the  barn.  I  called 
my  wife. 


I02  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  My  dear,"  I  said  severely,  "  what  is 
that  rascal  doing  here  ?  I  thought  I  dis- 
charged him  yesterday  for  good  and 
all." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  answered,  "  I  forgot 
to  tell  you.  He  was  hanging  round  the 
place  all  the  morning,  and  looking  so 
down  in  the  mouth,  that  I  told  him  that 
if  he  would  try  to  do  better,  we  would 
give  him  one  more  chance.  He  seems 
so  grateful,  and  so  really  in  earnest  in 
his  promises  of  amendment,  that  I  'm 
sure  you  '11  not  regret  taking  him  back." 

I  was  seriously  enough  annoyed  to  let 
my  cigar  go  out.  I  did  not  share  my 
wife's  rose-colored  hopes  in  regard  to 
Tom ;  but  as  I  did  not  wish  the  servants 
to  think  there  was  any  conflict  of  au- 
thority in  the  household,  I  let  the  boy 
stay. 


THE   CONJURER'S   REVENGE 

Sunday  was  sometimes  a  rather  dull 
day  at  our  place.  In  the  morning,  when 
the  weather  was  pleasant,  my  wife  and 
I  would  drive  to  town,  a  distance  of 
about  five  miles,  to  attend  the  church 
of  our  choice.  The  afternoons  we  spent 
at  home,  for  the  most  part,  occupying 
ourselves  with  the  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines, and  the  contents  of  a  fairly  good 
library.  We  had  a  piano  in  the  house, 
on  which  my  wife  played  with  skill  and 
feeling.  I  possessed  a  passable  baritone 
voice,  and  could  accompany  myself  in- 
differently well  when  my  wife  was  not 
by  to  assist  me.  When  these  resources 
failed  us,  we  were  apt  to  find  it  a  little 
dull. 

One  Sunday  afternoon  in  early  spring, 


I04  The  Conjure    Woman 

—  the  balmy  spring  of  North  Carolina, 
when  the  air  is  in  that  ideal  balance 
between  heat  and  cold  where  one  wishes 
it  could  always  remain,  —  my  wife  and 
I  were  seated  on  the  front  piazza,  she 
wearily  but  conscientiously  ploughing 
through  a  missionary  report,  while  I  fol- 
lowed the  impossible  career  of  the 
blonde  heroine  of  a  rudimentary  novel. 
I  had  thrown  the  book  aside  in  disgust, 
when  I  saw  Julius  coming  through  the 
yard,  under  the  spreading  elms,  which 
were  already  in  full  leaf.  He  wore  his 
Sunday  clothes,  and  advanced  with  a 
dignity  of  movement  quite  different 
from  his  week-day  slouch. 

"  Have  a  seat,  Julius,"  I  said,  pointing 
to  an  empty  rocking-chair. 

"  No,  thanky,  boss,  I  '11  des  set  here 
on  de  top  step." 

"Oh,  no.  Uncle  Julius,"  exclaimed 
Annie,  "  take  this  chair.  You  will  find 
it  much  more  comfortable." 


The  Conjurers  Revenge         105 

The  old  man  grinned  in  appreciation 
of  her  solicitude,  and  seated  himself 
somewhat  awkwardly. 

"Julius,"  I  remarked,  "I  am  thinking 
of  setting  out  scuppernong  vines  on  that 
sand-hill  where  the  three  persimmon- 
trees  are  ;  and  while  I  'm  working  there, 
I  think  I  '11  plant  watermelons  between 
the  vines,  and  get  a  little  something  to 
pay  for  my  first  year's  work.  The  new 
railroad  will  be  finished  by  the  middle 
of  summer,  and  I  can  ship  the  melons 
North,  and  get  a  good  price  for  them." 

"  Ef  you  er  gwine  ter  hab  any  mo' 
ploughin'  ter  do,"  replied  Julius,  "  I  'spec' 
you  '11  ha'  ter  buy  ernudder  creetur,  'ca'se 
hit 's  much  ez  dem  bosses  kin  do  ter 
'ten'  ter  de  wuk  dey  got  now." 

"  Yes,  I  had  thought  of  that.  I  think 
I  '11  get  a  mule ;  a  mule  can  do  more 
work,  and  does  n't  require  as  much  at- 
tention as  a  horse." 

"  I  would  n'  'vise  you  ter  buy  no  mule," 


io6  The  Conjure   Wojnan 

remarked  Julius,  with  a  shake  of  his 
head. 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  may  'low  hit 's  all  foolis'- 
ness,  but  ef  I  wuz  in  yo'  place,  I  would  n' 
buy  no  mule." 

"  But  that  is  n't  a  reason  ;  what  objec- 
tion have  you  to  a  mule  ? " 

"  Fac'  is,"  continued  the  old  man,  in 
a  serious  tone,  "  I  doan  lack  ter  dribe 
a  mule.  I 's  alluz  af eared  I  mought  be 
imposin'  on  some  human  creetur  ;  eve'y 
time  I  cuts  a  mule  wid  a  hick'ry,  'pears 
ter  me  mos'  lackly  I 's  cuttin'  some  er 
my  own  relations,  er  somebody  e'se  w'at 
can't  he'p  deyse'ves." 

"  What  put  such  an  absurd  idea  into 
your  head  .■'  "  I  asked. 

My  question  was  followed  by  a  short 
silence,  during  which  Julius  seemed  en- 
gaged in  a  mental  struggle. 

"  I  dunno  ez  hit 's  wuf  w'ile  ter  tell 
you  dis,"  he  said,  at  length.     "  I  doan 


The  Conjurer  s  Revenge         107 

ha'dly  'spec'  fer  you  ter  b'lieve  it. 
Does  you  'member  dat  club-footed  man 
w'at  hilt  de  boss  fer  you  de  yuther  day 
w'en  you  was  gittin'  out'n  de  rockaway 
down  ter  Mars  Archie  McMillan's  sto'  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  believe  I  do  remember  seeing 
a  club-footed  man  there." 

"  Did  you  eber  see  a  club-footed  nig- 
ger befo'  er  sence  ?  " 

"No,  I  can't  remember  that  I  ever 
saw  a  club-footed  colored  man,"  I  re- 
plied, after  a  moment's  reflection. 

"  You  en  Mis'  Annie  would  n'  wanter 
b'lieve  me,  ef  I  wuz  ter  'low  dat  dat  man 
was  oncet  a  mule  .-' " 

"No,"  I  replied,  "I  don't  think  it 
very  likely  that  you  could  make  us  be- 
lieve it." 

"  Why,  Uncle  Julius  ! "  said  Annie 
severely,  "what  ridiculous  nonsense  !  " 

This  reception  of  the  old  man's  state- 
ment reduced  him  to  silence,  and  it 
required  some  diplomacy  on  my  part  to 


io8  The  Conjure    Woman 

induce  him  to  vouchsafe  an  explanation. 
The  prospect  of  a  long,  dull  afternoon 
was  not  alluring,  and  I  was  glad  to  have 
the  monotony  of  Sabbath  quiet  relieved 
by  a  plantation  legend. 

"Wen  I  wuz  a  young  man,"  began 
Julius,  when  I  had  finally  prevailed  upon 
him  to  tell  us  the  story,  "  dat  club-footed 
nigger — his  name  is  Primus  —  use'  ter 
b'long  ter  ole  Mars  Jim  McGee  ober  on 
de  Lumbe'ton  plank-road.  I  use'  ter  go 
ober  dere  ter  see  a  'oman  w'at  libbed  on 
de  plantation ;  dat 's  how  I  come  ter 
know  all  erbout  it,  Dis  yer  Primus  wuz 
de  livelies'  han'  on  de  place,  alluz  a-dan- 
cin',  en  drinkin',  en  runnin'  roun',  en 
singin',  en  pickin'  de  banjo  ;  'cep'n'  once 
in  a  w'ile,  w'en  he  'd  'low  he  wa'n't 
treated  right  'bout  sump'n  ernudder, 
he'd  git  so  sulky  en  stubborn  dat  de 
w'ite  folks  could  n'  ha'dly  do  nuffin  wid 
'im. 

"  It  wuz  'gin'  de  rules  fer  any  er  de 


The  Conjurer  s  Revenge         109 

han's  ter  go  'way  fum  de  plantation  at 
night ;  but  Primus  did  n'  min'  de  rules, 
en  went  w'en  he  felt  lack  it ;  en  de  w'ite 
folks  purten'  lack  dey  did  n'  know  it,  fer 
Primus  was  dange'ous  w'en  he  got  in 
dem  stubborn  spells,  en  dey  'd  ruther 
not  fool  wid  'im. 

"  One  night  in  de  spring  er  de  year, 
Primus  slip'  off  fum  de  plantation,  en 
went  down  on  de  Wim'l'ton  Road  ter  a 
dance  gun  by  some  er  de  free  niggers 
down  dere.  Dey  wuz  a  fiddle,  en  a 
banjo,  en  a  jug  gwine  roun'  on  de  out- 
side, en  Primus  sung  en  dance'  'tel  'long 
'bout  two  o'clock  in  de  mawnin',  w'en 
he  start'  fer  home.  Ez  he  come  erlong 
back,  he  tuk  a  nigh-cut  'cross  de  cotton- 
fiel's  en  'long  by  de  aidge  er  de  Min'al 
Spring  Swamp,  so  ez  ter  git  shet  er  de 
patteroles  w'at  rid  up  en  down  de  big 
road  fer  ter  keep  de  darkies  fum  runnin' 
roun'  nights.  Primus  was  sa'nt'rin'  'long, 
studyin'  'bout  de  good  time  he  'd  had 


no  The  Conjure   Woman 

wid  de  gals,  w'en,  ez  he  wuz  gwine  by 
a  fence  co'nder,  w'at  sh'd  he  heah  but 
sump'n  grunt.  He  stopped  a  minute 
ter  listen,  en  he  beared  sump'n  grunt 
ag'in.  Den  he  went  ober  ter  de  fence 
whar  he  heard  de  fuss,  en  dere,  layin'  in 
de  fence  co'nder,  on  a  pile  er  pine  straw, 
he  seed  a  fine,  fat  shote. 

"  Primus  look'  ha'd  at  de  shote,  en 
den  sta'ted  home.  But  somehow  er 
'nudder  he  could  n'  git  away  fum  dat 
shote ;  w'en  he  tuk  one  step  for'ards 
wid  one  foot,  de  yuther  foot  'peared  ter 
take  two  steps  back'ards,  en  so  he  kep* 
nachly  gittin'  closeter  en  closeter  ter  de 
shote.  It  was  de  beatin'es'  thing  !  De 
shote  des  'peared  ter  cha'm  Primus,  en 
fus'  thing  you  know  Primus  foun*  his- 
se'f  'way  up  de  road  wid  de  shote  on 
his  back. 

"Ef  Primus  had  'a'  knowed  whose 
shote  dat  wuz,  he  'd  'a'  manage'  ter  git 
pas'  it  somehow  er  'nudder.     Ez  it  hap- 


The  Conjurer  s  Revenge         1 1 1 

pen',  de  shote  b'long  ter  a  cunjuh  man 
w'at  libbed  down  in  de  free-nigger  sett'e- 
ment.  Co'se  de  cunjuh  man  did  n*  hab 
ter  wuk  his  roots  but  a  little  w'ile  'fo' 
he  foun'  out  who  tuk  his  shote,  en  den 
de  trouble  begun.  One  mawnin',  a  day 
er  so  later,  en  befo'  he  got  de  shote  eat 
up.  Primus  did  n'  go  ter  wuk  w'en  de 
hawn  blow,  en  w'en  de  oberseah  wen' 
ter  look  fer  him,  dey  wa'  no  trace  er 
Primus  ter  be  'skivered  nowhar.  W'en 
he  did  n'  come  back  in  a  day  er  so  mo', 
eve'ybody  on  de  plantation  'lowed  he 
had  runned  erway.  His  marster  a'ver- 
tise'  him  in  de  papers,  en  offered  a  big 
reward  fer  'im.  De  nigger  -  ketchers 
fotch  out  dey  dogs,  en  track'  'im  down 
ter  de  aidge  er  de  swamp,  en  den  de 
scent  gun  out ;  en  dat  was  de  las'  any- 
body seed  er  Primus  fer  a  long,  long 
time. 

"Two   er  th'ee  weeks   atter   Primus 
disappear',  his   marster  went   ter  town 


112  The  Conjure   Woman 

one  Sad'day.  Mars  Jim  was  stan'in'  in 
front  er  Sandy  Campbell's  bar-room,  up 
by  de  ole  vvagon-ya'd,  w'en  a  po'  w'ite 
man  fum  down  on  de  Wim'l'ton  Road 
come  up  ter  'im  en  ax'  'im,  kinder  keer- 
less  lack,  ef  he  did  n'  wanter  buy  a  mule. 

"'I  dunno,'  says  Mars  Jim;  'it  'pen's 
on  de  mule,  en  on  de  price.  Whar  is  de 
mule  ? ' 

" '  Des  'roun'  heah  back  er  ole  Tom 
McAllister's  sto','  says  de  po'  w'ite  man. 

"  'I  reckon  I  '11  hab  a  look  at  de  mule,' 
says  Mars  Jim,  *  en  ef  he  suit  me,  I  dunno 
but  w'at  I  mought  buy  'im.' 

"  So  de  po'  w'ite  man  tuk  Mars  Jim 
'roun'  back  er  de  sto',  en  dere  stood  a 
monst'us  fine  mule.  W'en  de  mule  see 
Mars  Jim,  he  gun  a  whinny,  des  lack  he 
knowed  him  befo'.  Mars  Jim  look'  at 
de  mule,  en  de  mule  'peared  ter  be  soun' 
en  strong.  Mars  Jim  'lowed  dey  'peared 
ter  be  sump'n  fermilyus  'bout  de  mule's 
face,  'spesh'ly  his  eyes  ;  but  he  had  n' 


The  Cojtjnrer's  Revefige         113 

los'  naer  mule,  en  did  n'  hab  no  recom- 
memb'ance  er  habin'  seed  de  mule  befo'. 
He  ax'  de  po'  buckrah  whar  he  got  de 
mule,  en  de  po'  buckrah  say  his  brer 
raise'  de  mule  down  on  Rockfish  Creek. 
Mars  Jim  was  a  little  s'picious  er  seein' 
a  po'  w'ite  man  wid  sech  a  fine  creetur, 
but  he  fin'lly  'greed  ter  gib  de  man  fifty 
dollars  fer  de  mule,  —  'bout  ha'f  w'at  a 
good  mule  was  wuf  dem  days. 

"  He  tied  de  mule  behin'  de  buggy 
w'en  he  went  home,  en  put  'im  ter 
ploughin'  cotton  de  nex'  day.  De  mule 
done  mighty  well  fer  th'ee  er  fo'  days, 
en  den  de  niggers  'mence'  ter  notice 
some  quare  things  erbout  him.  Dey 
wuz  a  medder  on  de  plantation  whar  dey 
use'  ter  put  de  bosses  en  mules  ter 
pastur'.  Hit  was  fence'  off  fum  de  corn- 
fiel'  on  one  side,  but  on  de  yuther  side'n 
de  pastur'  was  a  terbacker-patch  w'at 
wa'n't  fence'  off,  'ca'se  de  beastisses 
doan  none  un  'em  eat  terbacker.     Dey 


1 14  TJie  Conjure   Woman 

doan  know  w'at  's  good  !  Terbacker  is 
lack  religion,  de  good  Lawd  made  it  fer 
people,  en  dey  ain'  no  yuther  creetur 
w'at  kin  'preciate  it.  De  darkies  notice' 
dat  de  fus'  thing  de  new  mule  done, 
w'en  he  was  turnt  inter  de  pastur',  wuz 
ter  make  fer  de  terbacker-patch.  Co'se 
dey  did  n'  think  nuffin  un  it,  but  nex' 
mawnin',  w'en  dey  went  ter  ketch  'im, 
dey  'skivered  dat  he  had  eat  up  two  whole 
rows  er  terbacker  plants.  Atter  dat  dey 
had  ter  put  a  halter  on  'im,  en  tie  'im 
ter  a  stake,  er  e'se  dey  would  n'  'a'  been 
naer  leaf  er  terbacker  lef  in  de  patch. 

"  Ernudder  day  one  er  de  ban's,  name' 
'Dolphus,  hitch'  de  mule  up,  en  dribe  up 
here  ter  dis  yer  vimya'd,  —  dat  wuz  w'en 
ole  Mars  Dugal'  own'  dis  place.  Mars 
Dugal'  had  kilt  a  yearlin',  en  de  naber 
w'ite  folks  all  sont  ober  fer  ter  git  some 
fraish  beef,  en  Mars  Jim  had  sont  'Dol- 
phus fer  some  too.  Dey  wuz  a  wine- 
press in  de  ya'd  whar  'Dolphus  lef  de 


The  Conjurer^ s  Revenge         115 

mule  a-stan'in',  en  right  in  front  er  de 
press  dey  wuz  a  tub  er  grape-juice,  des 
pressed  out,  en  a  little  ter  one  side  a 
bairl  erbout  half  full  er  wine  w'at  had 
be'n  stan'in'  two  er  th'ee  days,  en  had 
begun  ter  git  sorter  sha'p  ter  de  tas'e. 
Dey  wuz  a  couple  er  bo'ds  on  top  er  dis 
yer  bairl,  wid  a  rock  laid  on  'em  ter  hoi* 
'em  down.  Ez  I  wuz  a-sayin',  'Dolphus 
lef  de  mule  stan'in'  in  de  ya'd,  en  went 
inter  de  smoke-house  fer  ter  git  de  beef. 
Bimeby,  w'en  he  come  out,  he  seed  de 
mule  a-stagg'rin'  'bout  de  ya'd ;  en  'fo' 
'Dolphus  could  git  dere  ter  fin*  out  w'at 
wuz  de  matter,  de  mule  fell  right  ober 
on  his  side,  en  laid  dere  des'  lack  he  was 
dead. 

"All  de  niggers  'bout  de  house  run 
out  dere  fer  ter  see  w'at  wuz  de  matter. 
Some  say  de  mule  had  de  colic ;  some 
say  one  thing  en  some  ernudder ;  'tel 
bimeby  one  er  de  ban's  seed  de  top  wuz 
off'n  de  bairl,  en  run  en  looked  in. 


ii6  The  Conjure  Woman 

"  *  Fo'  de  Lawd  ! '  he  say,  *  dat  mule 
drunk !  he  be'n  drinkin'  de  wine.'  En 
sho'  'nuff,  de  mule  had  pas'  right  by 
de  tub  er  fraish  grape-juice  en  push' 
de  kiver  off'n  de  bairl,  en  drunk  two  er 
th'ee  gallon  er  de  wine  w'at  had  been 
stan'in'  long  ernough  fer  ter  begin  ter 
git  sha'p. 

"  De  darkies  all  made  a  great  'miration 
'bout  de  mule  gittin'  drunk.  Dey  never 
had  n'  seed  nuffin  lack  it  in  dey  bawn 
days.  Dey  po'd  water  ober  de  mule,  en 
tried  ter  sober  'im  up ;  but  it  wa'n't  no 
use,  en  'Dolphus  had  ter  take  de  beef 
home  on  his  back,  en  leabe  de  mule 
dare,  'tel  he  slep'  off  'is  spree, 

"  I  doan  'member  whe'r  I  tol'  you  er 
no,  but  w'en  Primus  disappear'  fum  de 
plantation,  he  lef '  a  wife  behin'  'im,  —  a 
monst'us  good-lookin'  yaller  gal,  name' 
Sally.  W'en  Primus  had  be'n  gone  a 
mont'  er  so,  Sally  'mence'  fer  ter  git  lone- 
some, en  tuk  up  wid  ernudder  young 


The  Conjurer^ s  Revenge        1 1 7 

man  name'  Dan,  w'at  b'long'  on  de  same 
plantation.  One  day  dis  yer  Dan  tuk 
de  noo  mule  out  in  de  cotton-fiel'  fer 
ter  plough,  en  w'en  dey  wuz  gwine  'long 
de  tu'n-row,  who  sh'd  he  meet  but  dis 
yer  Sally.  Dan  look'  'roun'  en  he  did  n' 
see  de  oberseah  nowhar,  so  he  stop'  a 
minute  fer  ter  run  on  wid  Sally. 

"  '  Hoddy,  honey,'  sezee.  *  How  you 
feelin'  dis  mawnin'  .-• ' 

"  *  Fus'  rate/  'spon'  Sally. 

"  Dey  wuz  lookin'  at  one  ernudder, 
en  dey  did  n'  naer  one  un  'em  pay  no 
'tention  ter  de  mule,  who  had  turnt  'is 
head  'roun'  en  wuz  lookin'  at  Sally  ez 
ha'd  ez  he  could,  en  stretchin'  'is  neck 
en  raisin'  'is  years,  en  whinnyin'  kinder 
sof  ter  hisse'f. 

"  *  Yas,  honey,'  'lows  Dan,  '  en  you 
gwine  ter  feel  fus'  rate  long  ez  you 
sticks  ter  me.  Fer  I 's  a  better  man  dan 
dat  low-down  runaway  nigger  Primus 
dat  you  be'n  wastin'  yo'  time  wid.' 


Ii8  The  Conjure  Woman 

"  Dan  had  let  go  de  plough-handle,  en 
had  put  his  arm  'roun'  Sally,  en  wuz 
des  gwine  ter  kiss  her,  w'en  sump'n 
ketch'  'im  by  de  scruff  er  de  neck  en 
flung  'im  'way  ober  in  de  cotton-patch. 
W'en  he  pick'  'isse'f  up,  Sally  had  gone 
kitin'  down  de  tu'n-row,  en  de  mule  wuz 
stan'in'  dere  lookin'  ez  ca'm  en  peaceful 
ez  a  Sunday  mawnin'. 

"  Fus'  Dan  had  'lowed  it  wuz  de  ober- 
seah  w'at  had  cotch'  'im  wastin'  'is  time. 
But  dey  wa'n't  no  oberseah  in  sight, 
so  he  'eluded  it  must  'a'  be'n  de  mule. 
So  he  pitch'  inter  de  mule  en  lammed 
'im  ez  ha'd  ez  he  could.  De  mule  tuk 
it  all,  en  'peared  ter  be  ez  'umble  ez  a 
mule  could  be ;  but  w'en  dey  wuz  makin' 
de  turn  at  de  een'  er  de  row,  one  er  de 
plough-lines  got  under  de  mule's  hin* 
leg.  Dan  retch'  down  ter  git  de  line  out, 
sorter  keerless  like,  w'en  de  mule  haul' 
off  en  kick  him  clean  ober  de  fence 
inter  a  brier-patch  on  de  yuther  side. 


The  Conpirer's  Revetige      '  119 

"  Dan  wuz  mighty  so'  fum  'is  woun's 
en  scratches,  en  wuz  laid  up  fer  two  er 
th'ee  days.  One  night  de  noo  mule 
got  out'n  de  pastur',  en  went  down  to 
de  quarters.  Dan  wuz  layin'  dere  on 
his  pallet,  w'en  he  heard  sump'n  bangin' 
erway  at  de  side  er  his  cabin.  He 
raise'  up  on  one  shoulder  en  look'  roun', 
w'en  w'at  should  he  see  but  de  noo 
mule's  head  stickin'  in  de  winder,  wid 
his  lips  drawed  back  over  his  toofs,  grin- 
nin'  en  snappin'  at  Dan  des'  lack  he 
wanter  eat  'im  up.  Den  de  mule  went 
roun'  ter  de  do',  en  kick'  erway  lack  he 
wanter  break  de  do'  down,  'tel  bimeby 
somebody  come  'long  en  driv  him  back 
ter  de  pastur'.  W'en  Sally  come  in  a 
little  later  fum  de  big  house,  whar  she  'd 
be'n  waitin'  on  de  w'ite  folks,  she  foun' 
po'  Dan  nigh  'bout  dead,  he  wuz  so 
skeered.  She  'lowed  Dan  had  had  de 
nightmare  ;  but  w'en  dey  look'  at  de  do', 
dey  seed  de  marks  er  de  mule's  huffs, 


I20  The  Conjure  Woman 

so  dey  could  n'  be  no  mistake  'bout  w'at 
had  happen'. 

"  Co'se  de  niggers  tol'  dey  marster 
'bout  de  mule's  gwines-on.  Fust  he 
did  n'  pay  no  'tention  ter  it,  but  atter  a 
w'ile  he  tol'  'em  ef  dey  did  n'  stop  dey 
foolis'ness,  he  gwine  tie  some  un  'em  up. 
So  atter  dat  dey  did  n'  say  nuffin  mo' 
ter  dey  marster,  but  dey  kep'  on  noticin' 
de  mule's  quare  ways  des  de  same. 

"  'Long  'bout  de  middle  er  de  summer 
dey  wuz  a  big  camp-meetin'  broke  out 
down  on  de  Wim'l'ton  Road,  en  nigh 
'bout  all  de  po'  w'ite  folks  en  free  nig- 
gers in  de  settlement  got  'ligion,  en  lo  en 
behol' !  'mongs'  'em  wuz  de  cunjuh  man 
w'at  own'  de  shote  w'at  cha'med  Primus. 

"  Dis  cunjuh  man  wuz  a  Guinea  nig- 
ger, en  befo'  he  wuz  sot  free  had  use' 
ter  b'long  ter  a  gent'eman  down  in 
Sampson  County.  De  cunjuh  man  say 
his  daddy  wuz  a  king,  er  a  guv'ner,  er 
some   sorter  w'at-you-may-call-'em  'way 


The  Conjurer  s  Revenge        121 

ober  yander  in  Affiky  whar  de  niggers 
come  fum,  befo'  he  was  stoled  erway  en 
sol'  ter  de  spekilaters.  De  cunjuh  man 
had  he'ped  his  marster  out'n  some  trou- 
ble ernudder  wid  his  goopher,  en  his 
marster  had  sot  him  free,  en  bought 
him  a  trac'  er  land  down  on  de  Wim'l'- 
ton  Road.  He  purten'  ter  be  a  cow-doc- 
tor, but  eve'ybody  knowed  w'at  he  r'al'y 
wuz. 

"  De  cunjuh  man  had  n'  mo'  d'n  come 
th'oo  good,  befo'  he  wuz  tuk  sick  wid  a 
col'  w'at  he  kotch  kneelin'  on  de  groun' 
so  long  at  de  mou'ners'  bench.  He 
kep'  gittin'  wusser  en  wusser,  en  bimeby 
de  rheumatiz  tuk  holt  er  'im,  en  drawed 
him  all  up,  'tel  one  day  he  sont  word 
up  ter  Mars  Jim  McGee's  plantation,  en 
ax'  Pete,  de  nigger  w'at  tuk  keer  er  de 
mules,  fer  ter  come  down  dere  dat  night 
en  fetch  dat  mule  w'at  his  marster  had 
bought  fum  de  po'  w'ite  man  dyoin'  er 
de  summer. 


122  The  Conjure  Woman 

"Pete  did  n'  know  w'at  de  cunjuh 
man  wuz  dribin'  at,  but  he  did  n'  daster 
stay  way ;  en  so  dat  night,  w'en  he  'd 
done  eat  his  bacon  en  his  hoe-cake,  en 
drunk  his  'lasses-en-water,  he  put  a 
bridle  on  de  mule,  en  rid  'im  down  ter 
de  cunjuh  man's  cabin.  W'en  he  got  ter 
de  do',  he  lit  en  hitch'  de  mule,  en  den 
knock'  at  de  do'.  He  felt  mighty  jubous 
'bout  gwine  in,  but  he  was  bleedst  ter  do 
it ;  he  knowed  he  could  n'  he'p  'isse'f. 

" '  Pull  de  string,'  sez  a  weak  voice, 
en  w'en  Pete  lif  de  latch  en  went  in,  de 
cunjuh  man  was  layin'  on  de  bed,  lookin' 
pale  en  weak,  lack  he  did  n'  hab  much 
longer  f  er  ter  lib. 

"  '  Is  you  fotch'  de  mule } '  sezee. 

"Pete  say  yas,  en  de  cunjuh  man  kep' 
on. 

"'Brer  Pete,'  sezee,  'I's  be'n  a 
monst'us  sinner  man,  en  I 's  done  a 
power  er  wickedness  endyoin'  er  my 
days  ;  but  de  good   Lawd   is  wash'  my 


The  Conjurer's  Revenge         123 

sins  erway,  en  I  feels  now  dat  I 's  boun' 
far  de  kingdom.  En  I  feels,  too,  dat  I 
ain'  gwine  ter  git  up  fum  dis  bed  no 
mo'  in  dis  worl',  en  I  wants  ter  ondo 
some  er  de  harm  I  done.  En  dat 's  de 
reason,  Brer  Pete,  I  sont  fer  you  ter 
fetch  dat  mule  down  here.  You  'mem- 
ber dat  shote  I  was  up  ter  yo'  planta- 
tion inquirin'  'bout  las'  June .'' ' 

"  *  Yas,'  says  Brer  Pete,  '  I  'member 
yo'  axin'  'bout  a  shote  you  had  los'.' 

"  '  I  dunno  whe'r  you  eber  I'arnt  it  er 
no,'  says  de  cunjuh  man,  'but  I  done 
knowed  yo'  marster's  Primus  had  tuk  de 
shote,  en  I  wuz  boun'  ter  git  eben  wid 
'im.  So  one  night  I  cotch'  'im  down 
by  de  swamp  on  his  way  ter  a  candy- 
pullin',  en  I  th'owed  a  goopher  mixtry  on 
'im,  en  turnt  'im  ter  a  mule,  en  got  a  po' 
w'ite  man  ter  sell  de  mule,  en  we  'vided 
de  money.  But  I  doan  want  ter  die  'tel 
I  turn  Brer  Primus  back  ag'in.' 

"Den   de   cunjuh   man  ax*    Pete  ter 


124  The  Conjure  Wo^nan 

take  down  one  er  two  go'ds  off' n  a  she'f 
in  de  corner,  en  one  er  two  bottles  wid 
some  kin'  er  mixtry  in  'em,  en  set  'em 
on  a  stool  by  de  bed ;  en  den  he  ax'  'im 
ter  fetch  de  mule  in. 

"Wen  de  mule  come  in  de  do',  he^ 
gin  a  snort,  en  started  fer  de  bed,  des 
lack  he  was  gwine  ter  jump  on  it. 

"  '  Hoi'  on  dere,  Brer  Primus  ! '  de  cun- 
juh  man  hollered.  '  I 's  monst'us  weak, 
en  ef  you  'mence  on  me,  you  won't  neb- 
ber  hab  no  chance  fer  ter  git  turn'  back 
no  mo'.' 

"De  mule  seed  de  sense  er  dat,  en 
stood  still.  Den  de  cunjuh  man  tuk  de 
go'ds  en  bottles,  en  'mence'  ter  wuk  de 
roots  en  yarbs,  en  de  mule  'mence'  ter 
turn  back  ter  a  man, — fust  his  years, 
den  de  res'  er  his  head,  den  his  shoul- 
ders en  arms.  All  de  time  de  cunjuh 
man  kep'  on  wukkin'  his  roots ;  en  Pete 
en  Primus  could  see  he  wuz  gittin' 
weaker  en  weaker  all  de  time. 


The  Conjurer^ s  Revenge        125 

"  '  Brer  Pete,'  sezee,  bimeby,  *  gimme 
a  drink  er  dem  bitters  out'n  dat  green 
bottle  on  de  she'f  yander.  I  's  gwine 
fas',  en  it  '11  gimme  strenk  fer  ter  finish 
dis  wuk.' 

"Brer  Pete  look'  up  on  de  mantel- 
piece, en  he  seed  a  bottle  in  de  corner. 
It  was  so  da'k  in  de  cabin  he  could  n' 
tell  whe'r  it  wuz  a  green  bottle  er  no. 
But  he  hilt  de  bottle  ter  de  cunjuh 
man's  mouf,  en  he  tuk  a  big  moufF'l. 
He  had  n'  mo'  d'n  swallowed  it  befo'  he 
'mence'  ter  holler. 

"  '  You  gimme  de  wrong  bottle,  Brer 
Pete  ;  dis  yer  bottle  's  got  pizen  in  it, 
en  I 's  done  fer  dis  time,  sho'.  Hoi'  me 
up,  fer  de  Lawd's  sake  !  'tel  I  git  th'oo 
turnin'  Brer  Primus  back.' 

"  So  Pete  hilt  him  up,  en  he  kep'  on 
wukkin'  de  roots,  'tel  he  got  de  goopher 
all  tuk  off'n  Brer  Primus  'cep'n'  one 
foot.  He  had  n'  got  dis  foot  mo'  d'n 
half  turnt  back  befo'  his  strenk  gun  out 


126  The  Conjure  Woman 

enti'ely,  en  he  drap'  de  roots  en  fell 
back  on  de  bed. 

" '  I  can't  do  no  mo'  fer  you,  Brer 
Primus,'  sezee,  'but  I  hopes  you  will 
fergib  me  fer  w'at  harm  I  done  you.  I 
knows  de  good  Lawd  done  fergib  me, 
en  I  hope  ter  meet  you  bofe  in  glory. 
I  sees  de  good  angels  waitin'  fer  me  up 
yander,  wid  a  long  w'ite  robe  en  a  starry 
crown,  en  I  'm  on  my  way  ter  jine  'em.' 
En  so  de  cunjuh  man  died,  en  Pete  en 
Primus  went  back  ter  de  plantation. 

"  De  darkies  all  made  a  great  'mira- 
tion w'en  Primus  come  back.  Mars 
Jim  let  on  lack  he  did  n'  b'lieve  de  tale 
de  two  niggers  tol'  ;  he  sez  Primus  had 
runned  erway,  en  stay'  'tel  he  got  ti'ed 
er  de  swamps,  en  den  come  back  on  him 
ter  be  fed.  He  tried  ter  'count  fer  de 
shape  er  Primus'  foot  by  sayin'  Primus 
got  his  foot  smash',  er  snake-bit,  er 
sump'n,  w'iles  he  wuz  erway,  en  den 
stayed  out  in  de  woods  whar  he  could  n' 


The  Conjurer^ s  Revenge        127 

git  it  kyoed  up  straight,  'stidder  comin* 
long  home  whar  a  doctor  could  'a' 
'tended  ter  it.  But  de  niggers  all  notice' 
dey  marster  did  n'  tie  Primus  up,  ner 
take  on  much  'ca'se  de  mule  wuz  gone. 
So  dey  'lowed  dey  marster  must  'a'  had 
his  s'picions  'bout  dat  cunjuh  man." 

My  wife  had  listened  to  Julius's  recital 
with  only  a  mild  interest.  When  the 
old  man  had  finished  it  she  remarked  :  — 

"That  story  does  not  appeal  to  me, 
Uncle  Julius,  and  is  not  up  to  your 
usual  mark.  It  is  n't  pathetic,  it  has  no 
moral  that  I  can  discover,  and  I  can't 
see  why  you  should  tell  it.  In  fact,  it 
seems  to  me  like  nonsense." 

The  old  man  looked  puzzled  as  well  as 
pained.  He  had  not  pleased  the  lady, 
and  he  did  not  seem  to  understand  why. 

"  I  'm  sorry,  ma'm,"  he  said  reproach- 
fully, "  ef  you  doan  lack  dat  tale.  I  can't 
make  out  w'at  you  means  by  some  er 
dem   wo'ds   you   uses,    but    I  'm   tellin' 


128  The  Conjure  Woman 

nuffin  but  de  truf.  Co'se  I  did  n'  see 
de  cunjuh  man  tu'n  'im  back,  far  I  wuz  n' 
dere ;  but  I  be'n  hearin'  de  tale  fer 
twenty-five  yeahs,  en  I  ain'  got  no 
'casion  fer  ter  'spute  it.  Dey  's  so  many 
things  a  body  knows  is  lies,  dat  dey  ain' 
no  use  gwine  roun'  findin'  fault  wid  tales 
dat  mought  des  ez  well  be  so  ez  not. 
F'  instance,  dey 's  a  young  nigger  gwine 
ter  school  in  town,  en  he  come  out  heah 
de  yuther  day  en  'lowed  dat  de  sun  stood 
still  en  de  yeath  turnt  roun'  eve'y  day 
on  a  kinder  axletree.  I  tol'  dat  young 
nigger  ef  he  didn'  take  hisse'f  'way  wid 
dem  lies,  I  'd  take  a  buggy-trace  ter  'im  ; 
fer  I  sees  de  yeath  stan'in'  still  all  de 
time,  en  I  sees  de  sun  gwine  roun'  it, 
en  ef  a  man  can't  b'lieve  w'at  'e  sees,  I 
can't  see  no  use  in  libbin'  —  mought 's 
well  die  en  be  whar  we  can't  see  nuffin. 
En  ernudder  thing  w'at  proves  de  tale 
'bout  dis  ole  Primus  is  de  way  he  goes 
on  ef  anybody  ax'   him    how  he  come 


The  Conjurer  s  Revenge         129 

by  dat  club-foot.  I  axed  'im  one  day, 
mighty  perlite  en  civil,  en  he  call'  me  a' 
ole  fool,  en  got  so  mad  he  ain'  spoke 
ter  me  sence.  Hit 's  monst'us  quare. 
But  dis  is  a  quare  worl',  anyway  yer  kin 
fix  it,"  concluded  the  old  man,  with  a 
weary  sigh. 

"  Ef  you  makes  up  yo'  min'  not  ter 
buy  dat  mule,  suh,"  he  added,  as  he  rose 
to  go,  "  I  knows  a  man  w'at  's  got  a 
good  boss  he  wants  ter  sell,  —  leas'ways 
dat 's  w'at  I  beared.  I  'm  gwine  ter 
pra'rmeetin'  ter-night,  en  I  'm  gwine 
right  by  de  man's  house,  en  ef  you  'd 
lack  ter  look  at  de  boss,  I  '11  ax  'im  ter 
fetch  him  roun'." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  I  said,  "  you  can  ask  him 
to  stop  in,  if  he  is  passing.  There  will 
be  no  harm  in  looking  at  the  horse, 
though  I  rather  think  I  shall  buy  a 
mule." 

Early  next  morning  the  man  brought 
the  horse  up  to  the  vineyard.     At  that 


130  TJie  Conjure  Woman 

time  I  was  not  a  very  good  judge  of  horse- 
flesh. The  horse  appeared  sound  and 
gentle,  and,  as  the  owner  assured  me, 
had  no  bad  habits.  The  man  wanted  a 
large  price  for  the  horse,  but  finally 
agreed  to  accept  a  much  smaller  sum, 
upon  payment  of  which  I  became  pos- 
sessed of  a  very  fine-looking  animal. 
But  alas  for  the  deceitfulness  of  appear- 
ances !  I  soon  ascertained  that  the 
horse  was  blind  in  one  eye,  and  that  the 
sight  of  the  other  was  very  defective ; 
and  not  a  month  elapsed  before  my  pur- 
chase developed  most  of  the  diseases 
that  horse-flesh  is  heir  to,  and  a  more 
worthless,  broken-winded,  spavined  quad- 
ruped never  disgraced  the  noble  name 
of  horse.  After  worrying  through  two 
or  three  months  of  life,  he  expired  one 
night  in  a  fit  of  the  colic.  I  replaced 
him  with  a  mule,  and  Julius  henceforth 
had  to  take  his  chances  of  driving  some 
metamorphosed  unfortunate. 


The  Conjurer  s  Revefige         131 

Circumstances  that  afterwards  came 
to  my  knowledge  created  in  my  mind  a 
strong  suspicion  that  Juhus  may  have 
played  a  more  than  unconscious  part  in 
this  transaction.  Among  other  signifi- 
cant facts  was  his  appearance,  the  Sun- 
day following  the  purchase  of  the  horse, 
in  a  new  suit  of  store  clothes,  which  I 
had  seen  displayed  in  the  window  of 
Mr.  Solomon  Cohen's  store  on  my  last 
visit  to  town,  and  had  remarked  on  ac- 
count of  their  striking  originality  of  cut 
and  pattern.  As  I  had  not  recently 
paid  Julius  any  money,  and  as  he  had 
no  property  to  mortgage,  I  was  driven 
to  conjecture  to  account  for  his  posses- 
sion of  the  means  to  buy  the  clothes. 
Of  course  I  would  not  charge  him  with 
duplicity  unless  I  could  prove  it,  at  least 
to  a  moral  certainty,  but  for  a  long  time 
afterwards  I  took  his  advice  only  in 
small  doses  and  with  great  discrimina- 
tion. 


SIS'   BECKY'S   PICKANINNY 

We  had  not  lived  in  North  Carolina 
very  long  before  I  was  able  to  note  a 
marked  improvement  in  my  wife's  health. 
The  ozone-laden  air  of  the  surrounding 
piney  woods,  the  mild  and  equable  cli- 
mate, the  peaceful  leisure  of  country 
life,  had  brought  about  in  hopeful  mea- 
sure the  cure  we  had  anticipated. 
Toward  the  end  of  our  second  year, 
however,  her  ailment  took  an  unex- 
pected turn  for  the  worse.  She  became 
the  victim  of  a  settled  melancholy,  at- 
tended with  vague  forebodings  of  im- 
pending misfortune. 

"  You  must  keep  up  her  spirits,"  said 
our  physician,  the  best  in  the  neigh- 
boring town.  "  This  melancholy  lowers 
her  tone  too  much,  tends  to  lessen  her 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         133 

strength,  and,  if  it  continue  too  long, 
may  be  fraught  with  grave  conse- 
quences." 

I  tried  various  expedients  to  cheer 
her  up.  I  read  novels  to  her.  I  had 
the  hands  on  the  place  come  up  in  the 
evening  and  serenade  her  with  planta- 
tion songs.  Friends  came  in  sometimes 
and  talked,  and  frequent  letters  from 
the  North  kept  her  in  touch  with  her 
former  home.  But  nothing  seemed  to 
rouse  her  from  the  depression  into 
which  she  had  fallen. 

One  pleasant  afternoon  in  spring,  I 
placed  an  armchair  in  a  shaded  portion 
of  the  front  piazza,  and  filling  it  with 
pillows  led  my  wife  out  of  the  house  and 
seated  her  where  she  would  have  the 
pleasantest  view  of  a  somewhat  monoto- 
nous scenery.  She  was  scarcely  placed 
when  old  Julius  came  through  the  yard, 
and,  taking  off  his  tattered  straw  hat, 
inquired,  somewhat  anxiously  :  — 


134  The  Conjure   Woman 

"How  is  you  feelin'  dis  atternoon, 
ma'm  ? " 

"  She  is  not  very  cheerful,  Julius,"  I 
said.  My  wife  was  apparently  without 
energy  enough  to  speak  for  herself. 

The  old  man  did  not  seem  inclined 
to  go  away,  so  I  asked  him  to  sit  down. 
I  had  noticed,  as  he  came  up,  that 
he  held  some  small  object  in  his  hand. 
When  he  had  taken  his  seat  on  the  top 
step,  he  kept  fingering  this  object,  — 
what  it  was  I  could  not  quite  make  out. 

"  What  is  that  you  have  there,  Julius  ?  " 
I  asked,  with  mild  curiosity. 
"Dis  is  my  rabbit  foot,  suh." 
This  was  at  a  time  before  this  curious 
superstition  had  attained  its  present  joc- 
ular popularity  among  white  people,  and 
while  I  had  heard  of  it  before,  it  had  not 
yet  outgrown  the  charm  of  novelty. 
"  What  do  you  do  with  it .?  " 
"I  kyars  it  wid  me  fer  luck,  suh." 
"Julius,"  I  observed,  half  to  him  and 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaniimy        135 

half  to  my  wife,  "your  people  will  never 
rise  in  the  world  until  they  throw  off 
these  childish  superstitions  and  learn  to 
live  by  the  light  of  reason  and  common 
sense.  How  absurd  to  imagine  that  the 
fore-foot  of  a  poor  dead  rabbit,  with 
which  he  timorously  felt  his  way  along 
through  a  life  surrounded  by  snares  and 
pitfalls,  beset  by  enemies  on  every  hand, 
can  promote  happiness  or  success,  or 
ward  off  failure  or  misfortune  !  " 

"  It  is  ridiculous,"  assented  my  wife, 
with  faint  interest. 

"  Dat  's  w'at  I  tells  dese  niggers  roun' 
heah,"  said  Julius.  "  De  fo'-foot  ain' 
got  no  power.  It  has  ter  be  de  hin'- 
foot,  suh,  —  de  lef  hin'-foot  er  a  grabe- 
ya'd  rabbit,  killt  by  a  cross-eyed  nigger 
on  a  da'k  night  in  de  full  er  de  moon." 

"They  must  be  very  rare  and  valua- 
ble," I  said. 

"Dey  is  kinder  ska'ce,  suh,  en  dey 
ain'  no  'mount  er  money  could  buy  mine, 


136  The  Conjure   Woman 

suh.  I  mought  len'  it  ter  anybody  I  sot 
sto'  by,  but  I  would  n'  sell  it,  no  indeed, 
suh,  I  would  n'." 

"  How  do  you  know  it  brings  good 
luck?"  I  asked. 

"  'Ca'se  I  ain'  had  no  bad  luck  sence 
I  had  it,  suh,  en  I 's  had  dis  rabbit  foot 
fer  fo'ty  yeahs.  I  had  a  good  marster 
befo'  de  wah,  en  I  wa'n't  sol'  erway,  en 
I  wuz  sot  free  ;  en  dat  'uz  all  good  luck." 

"  But  that  does  n't  prove  anything," 
I  rejoined.  "  Many  other  people  have 
gone  through  a  similar  experience,  and 
probably  more  than  one  of  them  had  no 
rabbit's  foot." 

"  Law,  suh !  you  doan  hafter  prove 
'bout  de  rabbit  foot !  Eve'ybody  knows 
dat ;  leas'ways  eve'ybody  roun'  heah 
knows  it.  But  ef  it  has  ter  be  prove' 
ter  folks  w'at  wa'n't  bawn  en  raise'  in 
dis  naberhood,  dey  is  a'  easy  way  ter 
prove  it.  Is  I  eber  tol'  you  de  tale  er 
Sis'  Becky  en  her  pickaninny  .■'  " 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         137 

"No,"  I  said,  "let  us  hear  it."  I 
thought  perhaps  the  story  might  inter- 
est my  wife  as  much  or  more  than  the 
novel  I  had  meant  to  read  from. 

"Dis  yer  Becky,"  Julius  began,  "use- 
ter  b'long  ter  ole  Kunnel  Pen'leton,  who 
owned  a  plantation  down  on  de  WimT- 
ton  Road,  'bout  ten  miles  fum  heah, 
des  befo'  you  gits  ter  Black  Swamp. 
Dis  yer  Becky  wuz  a  fiel'-han',  en  a 
monst'us  good  'un.  She  had  a  husban' 
oncet,  a  nigger  w'at  b'longed  on  de  nex' 
plantation,  but  de  man  w'at  owned  her 
husban'  died,  en  his  Ian'  en  his  niggers 
had  ter  be  sol'  fer  ter  pay  his  debts. 
Kunnel  Pen'leton  'lowed  he'd  'a'  bought 
dis  nigger,  but  he  had  be'n  bettin'  on 
hoss  races,  en  did  n'  hab  no  money,  en 
so  Becky's  husban'  wuz  sol'  erway  ter 
Fuhginny. 

"Co'se  Becky  went  on  some  'bout 
losin'  her  man,  but  she  could  n'  he'p 
herse'f  ;  en  'sides  dat,  she  had  her  pick- 


138  The  Conjure   Woman 

aninny  fer  ter  comfo't  her.  Dis  yer  lit- 
tle Mose  wuz  de  cutes',  blackes',  shiny- 
eyedes'  little  nigger  you  eber  laid  eyes 
on,  en  he  wuz  ez  fon'  er  his  mammy  ez 
his  mammy  wuz  er  him.  Co'se  Becky 
had  ter  wuk  en  did  n'  hab  much  time 
ter  was'e  wid  her  baby.  Ole  Aun' 
Nancy,  de  plantation  nuss  down  at  de 
qua'ters,  useter  take  keer  er  little  Mose 
in  de  daytime,  en  atter  de  niggers  come 
in  fum  de  cotton-fiel'  Becky  'ud  git  her 
chile  en  kiss  'im  en  nuss  'im,  en  keep 
'im  'tel  mawnin' ;  en  on  Sundays  she  'd 
hab  'im  in  her  cabin  wid  her  all  day 
long. 

"Sis'  Becky  had  got  sorter  useter 
gittin'  'long  widout  her  husban',  w'en 
one  day  Kunnel  Pen'leton  went  ter  de 
races.  Co'se  w'en  he  went  ter  de  races, 
he  tuk  his  bosses,  en  co'se  he  bet  on  'is 
own  bosses,  en  co'se  he  los'  his  money ; 
fer  Kunnel  Pen'leton  did  n'  nebber  hab 
no  luck  wid  his  bosses,  ef  he  did  keep 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         139 

hisse'f  po'  projeckin'  wid  'em.  But  dis 
time  dey  wuz  a  boss  name'  Lightnin' 
Bug,  w'at  b'longed  ter  ernudder  man, 
en  dis  boss  won  de  sweep-stakes ;  en 
Kunnel  Pen'leton  tuk  a  lackin'  ter  dat 
boss,  en  ax'  bis  owner  w'at  be  wuz  willin' 
ter  take  fer  'im. 

"  '  I  '11  take  a  tbousan'  dollahs  fer  dat 
boss,'  sez  dis  yer  man,  wbo  bad  a  big 
plantation  down  to'ds  Wim'l'ton,  wbar 
he  raise'  bosses  fer  ter  race  en  ter  sell. 

"Well,  Kunnel  Pen'leton  scratch'  'is 
head,  en  wonder  wbar  he  wuz  gwine  ter 
raise  a  tbousan'  dollahs ;  en  be  did  n' 
see  des  how  he  could  do  it,  fer  be  owed 
ez  much  ez  be  could  borry  a'ready  on  de 
skyo'ity  be  could  gib.  But  he  wuz  des 
boun'  ter  hab  dat  boss,  so  sezee  :  — 

"  '  I  '11  gib  you  my  note  fer  'leven 
hund'ed  dollahs  fer  dat  boss.' 

"De  yutber  man  shuck  'is  head,  en 
sezee :  — 

"  '  Yo'  note,  sub,  is   better  'n  gol',  I 


140  The  Conjure   Woman 

doan  doubt ;  but  I  is  made  it  a  rule  in 
my  bizness  not  ter  take  no  notes  fum 
nobody.  Howsomeber,  suh,  ef  you  is 
kinder  sho't  er  fun's,  mos'  lackly  we  kin 
make  some  kin'  er  bahg'in.  En  w'iles 
we  is  talkin',  I  mought  's  well  say  dat  I 
needs  ernudder  good  nigger  down  on 
my  place.  Ef  you  is  got  a  good  one  ter 
spar',  I  mought  trade  wid  you.' 

"  Now,  Kunnel  Pen'leton  did  n'  r'ally 
hab  no  niggers  fer  ter  spar,  but  he 
'lowed  ter  hisse'f  he  wuz  des  bleedzd  ter 
hab  dat  boss,  en  so  he  sez,  sezee  :  — 

" '  Well,  I  doan  lack  ter,  but  I  reckon 
I  '11  haf  ter.  You  come  out  ter  my 
plantation  ter-morrer  en  look  ober  my 
niggers,  en  pick  out  de  one  you  wants.' 

"  So  sho'  'nuff  nex'  day  dis  yer  man 
come  out  ter  Kunnel  Pen'leton's  place 
en  rid  roun'  de  plantation  en  glanshed 
at  de  niggers,  en  who  sh'd  he  pick  out 
fum  'em  all  but  Sis'  Becky. 

" '  I  needs  a  noo  nigger  'oman  down 


Szs'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         141 

ter  my  place,'  sezee,  *  fer  ter  cook  en 
wash,  en  so  on  ;  en  dat  young  'oman  '11 
des  fill  de  bill.  You  gimme  her,  en  you 
kin  hab  Lightnin'  Bug.'  " 

"  Now,  Kunnel  Pen'leton  did  n'  lack 
ter  trade  Sis'  Becky,  'ca'se  she  wuz  nigh 
'bout  de  bes'  fiel'-han'  he  had ;  en  'sides, 
Mars  Dugal'  did  n'  keer  ter  take  de 
mammies  'way  fum  dey  chillun  w'iles  de 
chillun  wuz  little.  But  dis  man  say  he 
want  Becky,  er  e'se  Kunnel  Pen'leton 
could  n'  hab  de  race  boss. 

"  'Well,'  sez  de  kunnel,  'you  kin  hab 
de  'oman.  But  I  doan  lack  ter  sen'  her 
'way  fum  her  baby.  Wat  '11  you  gimme 
fer  dat  nigger  baby  .-* ' 

" '  I  doan  want  de  baby,'  sez  de  yuther 
man.     '  I  ain'  got  no  use  fer  de  baby.' 

"  '  I  tell  yer  w'at  I  '11  do,'  'lows  Kunnel 
Pen'leton,  '  I  '11  th'ow  dat  pickaninny  in 
fer  good  measure.' 

"  But  de  yuther  man  shuck  his  head. 
'  No,'  sezee,  '  I 's  much  erbleedzd,  but  I 


142  The  Conjure    Woman 

doan  raise  niggers ;  I  raises  bosses,  en 
I  doan  wanter  be  botb'rin'  wid  no  nig- 
ger babies.  Nemmine  de  baby.  I  '11 
keep  dat  'oman  so  busy  she  '11  fergit  de 
baby  ;  fer  niggers  is  made  ter  wuk,  en 
dey  ain'  got  no  time  fer  no  sich  foolis'- 
ness  ez  babies.' 

"  Kunnel  Pen'leton  did  n'  wanter  hu't 
Becky's  feelin's,  —  fer  Kunnel  Pen'leton 
wuz  a  kin'-hea'ted  man,  en  nebber  lack' 
ter  make  no  trouble  fer  nobody,  —  en  so 
he  tol'  Becky  he  wuz  gwine  sen'  her 
down  ter  Robeson  County  fer  a  day  er 
so,  ter  he'p  out  his  son-in-law  in  his 
wuk ;  en  bein'  ez  dis  yuther  man  wuz 
gwine  dat  way,  he  had  ax'  'im  ter  take 
her  'long  in  his  buggy. 

"  *  Kin  I  kyar  little  Mose  wid  me,  mars- 
ter } '  ax'  Sis'  Becky. 

"  *  N-o,'  sez  de  kunnel,  ez  ef  he  wuz 
studyin'  whuther  ter  let  her  take  'im  er 
no  ;  *  I  reckon  you  better  let  Aun'  Nancy 
look   atter  yo'  baby  fer  de  day  er  two 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         143 

you  '11  be  gone,  en  she  '11  see  dat  he  gits 
ernuff  ter  eat  'tel  you  gits  back.' 

"  So  Sis'  Becky  hug'  en  kiss'  little 
Mose,  en  tol'  'im  ter  be  a  good  little 
pickaninny,  en  take  keer  er  hisse'f,  en 
not  fergit  his  mammy  w'iles  she  wuz 
gone.  En  little  Mose  put  his  arms 
roun'  his  mammy  en  lafft  en  crowed  des 
lack  it  wuz  monst'us  fine  fun  fer  his 
mammy  ter  go  'way  en  leabe  'im. 

"  Well,  dis  yer  boss  trader  sta'ted  out 
wid  Becky,  en  bimeby,  atter  dey  'd  gone 
down  de  Lumbe'ton  Road  fer  a  few 
miles  er  so,  dis  man  tu'nt  roun'  in  a 
diffe'nt  d'rection,  en  kep'  goin'  dat  er- 
way,  'tel  bimeby  Sis'  Becky  up  'n  ax'  'im 
ef  he  wuz  gwine  ter  Robeson  County  by 
a  noo  road. 

" '  No,  nigger,'  sezee,  *  I  ain'  gwine  ter 
Robeson  County  at  all.  I 's  gwine  ter 
Bladen  County,  whar  my  plantation  is, 
en  whar  I  raises  all  my  bosses.' 

"  '  But  how  is  I  gwine  ter  git  ter  Mis' 


144  The  Conjure   Woman 

Laura's  plantation  down  in  Robeson 
County  ? '  sez  Becky,  wid  her  hea't  in 
her  mouf,  fer  she  'mence'  ter  git  skeered 
all  er  a  sudden. 

"  '  You  ain'  gwine  ter  git  dere  at  all,' 
sez  de  man.  '  You  b'longs  ter  me  now, 
fer  I  done  traded  my  bes'  race  boss  fer 
you,  wid  yo'  ole  marster.  Ef  you  is  a 
good  gal,  I  '11  treat  you  right,  en  ef  you 
doan  behabe  yo'se'f, — w'y,  w'at  e'se 
happens  '11  be  yo'  own  fault.' 

"  Co'se  Sis'  Becky  cried  en  went  on 
'bout  her  pickaninny,  but  co'se  it  did  n' 
do  no  good,  en  bimeby  dey  got  down 
ter  dis  yer  man's  place,  en  he  put  Sis' 
Becky  ter  wuk,  en  fergot  all  'bout  her 
habin'  a  pickaninny, 

"  Meanw'iles,  w'en  ebenin'  come,  de 
day  Sis'  Becky  wuz  tuk  'way,  little  Mose 
'mence'  ter  git  res'less,  en  bimeby,  w'en 
his  mammy  did  n'  come,  he  stated  ter 
cry  fer  'er.  Aun'  Nancy  fed  'im  en 
rocked  'im  en  rocked  'im,  en  fin'lly  he 


Sis'  Becky  s  Pickaftinfiy         145 

des  cried  en  cried  'tel  he  cried  hisse'f 
ter  sleep. 

"  De  nex  day  he  did  n'  'pear  ter  be 
as  peart  ez  yushal,  en  w'en  night  come 
he  fretted  en  went  on  wuss  'n  he  did  de 
night  befo'.  De  nex'  day  his  little  eyes 
'mence'  ter  lose  dey  shine,  en  he  would  n' 
eat  nuffin,  en  he  'mence'  ter  look  so 
peaked  dat  Aun'  Nancy  tuk  'n  kyared 
'im  up  ter  de  big  house,  en  showed  'im 
ter  her  ole  missis,  en  her  ole  missis  gun 
her  some  med'cine  fer  'im,  en  'lowed  ef 
he  did  n'  git  no  better  she  sh'd  fetch  'im 
up  ter  de  big  house  ag'in,  en  dey  'd  hab 
a  doctor,  en  nuss  little  Mose  up  dere. 
Fer  Aun'  Nancy's  ole  missis  'lowed  he 
wuz  a  lackly  little  nigger  en  wu'th  raisin'. 

"  But  Aun'  Nancy  had  I'arn'  ter  lack 
little  Mose,  en  she  did  n'  wanter  hab  'im 
tuk  up  ter  de  big  house.  En  so  w'en  he 
did  n'  git  no  better,  she  gethered  a  mess 
er  green  peas,  and  tuk  de  peas  en  de 
baby,  en  went  ter  see  ole  Aun'  Peggy, 


146  The  Conjure   Woman 

de  cunjuh  'oman  down  by  de  Wim'Tton 
Road.  She  gun  Aun'  Peggy  de  mess  er 
peas,  en  tol'  her  all  'bout  Sis'  Becky  en 
little  Mose. 

"  '  Dat  is  a  monst'us  small  mess  er 
peas  you  is  fotch'  me,'  sez  Aun'  Peggy, 
sez  she. 

"  '  Yas,  I  knows,'  'lowed  Aun'  Nancy, 
'but  dis  yere  is  a  monst'us  small  picka- 
ninny.' 

"  *  You  '11  hafter  fetch  me  sump'n 
mo','  sez  Aun'  Peggy,  'fer  you  can't 
'spec'  me  ter  was'e  my  time  diggin' 
roots  en  wukkin'  cunj'ation  fer  nuffin.' 

'"All  right,'  sez  Aun'  Nancy,  'I'll 
fetch  you  sump'n  mo'  nex'  time.' 

"  '  You  bettah,'  sez  Aun'  Peggy,  '  er 
e'se  dey  '11  be  trouble.  Wat  dis  yer 
little  pickaninny  needs  is  ter  see  his 
mammy.  You  leabe  'im  heah  'tel  eben- 
in'  en  I  '11  show  'im  his  mammy.' 

"  So  w'en  Aun'  Nancy  had  gone  'way, 
Aun'  Peggy  tuk  'n  wukked  her  roots,  en 


Sis'  Becky's  Pickaninny         147 

tu'nt  little  Mose  ter  a  hummin'-bird,  en 
sont  'im  off  fer  ter  fin'  his  mammy. 

"  So  little  Mose  flewed,  en  flewed,  en 
flewed  away,  'tel  bimeby  he  got  ter  de 
place  whar  Sis'  Becky  b'longed.  He 
seed  his  mammy  wukkin'  roun'  de  ya'd, 
en  he  could  tell  fum  lookin'  at  her  dat 
she  wuz  trouble'  in  her  min'  'bout  sump'n, 
en  f  eelin'  kin'  er  po'ly.  Sis'  Becky  beared 
sump'n  hummin'  roun'  en  roun'  her,  sweet 
en  low.  Fus'  she  'lowed  it  wuz  a  hum- 
min'-bird ;  den  she  thought  it  sounded 
lack  her  little  Mose  croonin'  on  her  breas' 
way  back  yander  on  de  ole  plantation. 
En  she  des  'magine'  it  wuz  her  little 
Mose,  en  it  made  her  feel  bettah,  en  she 
went  on  'bout  her  wuk  pearter  'n  she'd 
done  sence  she  'd  be'n  down  dere.  Little 
Mose  stayed  roun'  'tel  late  in  de  ebenin', 
en  den  flewed  back  ez  hard  ez  he  could 
ter  Aun'  Peggy.  Ez  fer  Sis'  Becky,  she 
dremp  all  dat  night  dat  she  wuz  holdin' 
her  pickaninny  in  her  arms,  en  kissin' 


148  The  Conjure   Woman 

him,  en  nussin'  him,  des  lack  she  useter 
do  back  on  de  ole  plantation  whar  he 
wuz  bawn.  En  fer  th'ee  er  fo'  days  Sis' 
Becky  went  'bout  her  wuk  wid  mo'  sper- 
rit  dan  she  'd  showed  sence  she  'd  be'n 
down  dere  ter  dis  man's  plantation. 

"De  nex'  day  atter  he  come  back, 
little  Mose  wuz  mo'  pearter  en  better  'n 
he  had  be'n  fer  a  long  time.  But  to'ds 
de  een*  er  de  week  he  'mence'  ter  git 
res'less  ag'in,  en  stop'  eatin',  en  Aun' 
Nancy  kyared  'im  down  ter  Aun'  Peggy 
once  mo',  en  she  tu'nt  'im  ter  a  mawkin'- 
bird  dis  time,  en  sont  'im  off  ter  see  his 
mammy  ag'in. 

'*  It  did  n'  take  him  long  fer  ter  git 
dere,  en  w'en  he  did,  he  seed  his 
mammy  standin'  in  de  kitchen,  lookin' 
back  in  de  d'rection  little  Mose  wuz 
comin'  fum.  En  dey  wuz  tears  in  her 
eyes,  en  she  look'  mo'  po'ly  en  peaked  'n 
she  had  w'en  he  wuz  down  dere  befo'. 
So  little  Mose  sot  on  a  tree  in  de  ya'd 


Si's'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         149 

en  sung,  en  sung,  en  sung,  des  fittin'  ter 
split  his  th'oat.  Fus'  Sis'  Becky  did  n' 
notice  'im  much,  but  dis  mawkin'-bird 
kep'  stayin'  roun'  de  house  all  day,  en 
bimeby  Sis'  Becky  des  'magine'  dat  maw- 
kin'-bird wuz  her  little  Mose  crowin'  en 
crowin',  des  lack  he  useter  do  vv'en  his 
mammy  would  come  home  at  night  fum 
de  cotton-fiel'.  De  mawkin'-bird  stayed 
roun'  dere  'mos'  all  day,  en  w'en  Sis' 
Becky  went  out  in  de  ya'd  one  time,  dis 
yer  mawkin'-bird  lit  on  her  shoulder  en 
peck'  at  de  piece  er  bread  she  wuz  eat- 
in',  en  fluttered  his  wings  so  dey  rub'  up 
agin  de  side  er  her  head.  En  w'en  he 
flewed  away  'long  late  in  de  ebenin',  des 
'fo'  sundown.  Sis'  Becky  felt  mo'  bet- 
ter 'n  she  had  sence  she  had  beared  dat 
hummin'-bird  a  week  er  so  pas'.  En  dat 
night  she  dremp  'bout  ole  times  ag'in, 
des  lack  she  did  befo'. 

"  But  dis  yer  totin'  little  Mose  down 
ter  ole  Aun'  Peggy,  en  dis   yer  gittin' 


150  TJie  Conjure   Woman 

things  fer  ter  pay  de  cunjuh  'oman,  use' 
up  a  lot  er  Aun'  Nancy's  time,  en  she 
begun  ter  git  kinder  ti'ed.  'Sides  dat, 
w'en  Sis'  Becky  had  be'n  on  de  planta- 
tion, she  had  useter  he'p  Aun'  Nancy 
wid  de  young  uns  ebenin's  en  Sundays  ; 
en  Aun'  Nancy  'mence'  ter  miss  'er 
monst'us,  'speshly  sence  she  got  a  tech 
er  de  rheumatiz  herse'f,  en  so  she  'lows 
ter  ole  Aun'  Peggy  one  day  :  — 

"  *  Aun'  Peggy,  ain'  dey  no  way  you 
kin  fetch  Sis'  Becky  back  home  ? ' 

"  *  Huh  ! '  sez  Aun'  Peggy,  '  I  dunno 
'bout  dat.  I  '11  hafter  wuk  my  roots  en 
fin'  out  whuther  I  kin  er  no.  But  it  '11 
take  a  monst'us  heap  er  wuk,  en  I  can't 
was'e  my  time  fer  nuffin,  Ef  you  '11 
fetch  me  sump'n  ter  pay  me  fer  my 
trouble,  I  reckon  we  kin  fix  it.' 

"  So  nex*  day  Aun'  Nancy  went  down 
ter  see  Aun'  Peggy  ag'in. 

"'Aun'  Peggy,'  sez  she,  'I  is  fotch' 
you  my  bes'  Sunday  head-hankercher. 
Will  dat  do .? ' 


Sts'  Becky  s  Pickaninny         151 

"  Aun'  Peggy  look'  at  de  head-hanker- 
cher,  en  run  her  han'  ober  it,  en  sez 
she  :  — 

*"Yas,  dat'll  do  fus'-rate.  I's  be'n 
wukkin'  my  roots  sence  you  be'n  gone, 
en  I  'lows  mos'  lackly  I  kin  git  Sis' 
Becky  back,  but  it 's  gwine  take  fig'rin' 
en  studyin'  ez  well  ez  cunj'in'.  De  fus' 
thing  ter  do '11  be  ter  stop  fetchin'  dat 
pickaninny  down  heah,  en  not  sen'  'im 
ter  see  his  mammy  no  mo'.  Ef  he  gits 
too  po'ly,  you  lemme  know,  en  I  '11  gib 
you  some  kin'  er  mixtry  fer  ter  make  'im 
fergit  Sis'  Becky  fer  a  week  er  so.  So 
'less'n  you  comes  fer  dat,  you  neenter 
come  back  ter  see  me  no  mo'  'tel  I  sen's 
fer  you.' 

"So  Aun*  Peggy  sont  Aun'  Nancy 
erway,  en  de  fus'  thing  she  done  wuz 
ter  call  a  hawnet  fum  a  nes'  unner  her 
eaves. 

"  *  You  go  up  ter  Kunnel  Pen'leton's 
stable,  hawnet,'    sez   she,  *en  sting  de 


152  The  Conjure  Woman 

knees  er  de  race  hoss  name'  Lightnin' 
Bug.     Be  sho'  en  git  de  right  one.' 

"  So  de  hawnet  flewed  up  ter  Kunnel 
Pen'leton's  stable  en  stung  Lightnin' 
Bug  roun'  de  laigs,  en  de  nex'  mawnin' 
Lightnin'  Bug's  knees  wuz  all  swoll'  up, 
twice't  ez  big  ez  dey  oughter  be.  Wen 
Kunnel  Pen'leton  went  out  ter  de  stable 
en  see  de  boss's  laigs,  hit  would  'a'  des 
made  you  trimble  lack  a  leaf  fer  ter 
heah  him  cuss  dat  hoss  trader.  How- 
someber,  he  cool'  off  bimeby  en  tol'  de 
stable  boy  fer  ter  rub  Lightnin'  Bug's 
laigs  wid  some  linimum.  De  boy  done 
ez  his  marster  tol'  'im,  en  by  de  nex'  day 
de  swellin'  had  gone  down  consid'able. 
Aun'  Peggy  had  sont  a  sparrer,  w'at  had 
a  nes'  in  one  er  de  trees  close  ter  her 
cabin,  fer  ter  watch  w'at  wuz  gwine  on 
'roun'  de  big  house,  en  w'en  dis  yer 
sparrer  tol'  'er  de  hoss  wuz  gittin'  ober 
de  swellin',  she  sont  de  hawnet  back  fer 
ter  sting  'is  knees  some  mo',  en  de  nex' 


Sis'  Becky's  Pickaninny         153 

mawnin'  Lightnin'  Bug's  laigs  wuz  swoll' 
up  wuss  'n  befo'. 

"  Well,  dis  time  Kunnel  Pen'leton 
wuz  mad  th'oo  en  th'oo,  en  all  de  way 
'roun',  en  he  cusst  dat  boss  trader  up  en 
down,  fum  A  ter  Izzard.  He  cusst  so 
ha'd  dat  de  stable  boy  got  mos'  skeered 
ter  def,  en  went  off  en  hid  hisse'f  in  de 
hay. 

"Ez  fer  Kunnel  Pen'leton,  he  went 
right  up  ter  de  house  en  got  out  his  pen 
en  ink,  en  tuk  off  his  coat  en  roll'  up  his 
sleeves,  en  writ  a  letter  ter  dis  yer  boss 
trader,  en  sezee :  — 

"  '  You  is  sol'  me  a  boss  w'at  is  got 
a  ringbone  er  a  spavin  er  sump'n,  en 
w'at  I  paid  you  fer  wuz  a  soun'  boss.  I 
wants  you  ter  sen'  my  nigger  'oman 
back  en  take  yo'  ole  boss,  er  e'se  I  '11 
sue  you,  sbo  's  you  bawn.' 

"  But  dis  yer  man  wa'n't  skeered  a 
bit,  en  he  writ  back  ter  Kunnel  Pen'le- 
ton  dat  a   babg'in   wuz  a  bahg'in  ;  dat 


154  The  Conjure  Woman 

Lisfhtnin'  Buor  wuz   soun'  w'en    he  sol' 

o  o 

'im,  en  ef  Kunnel  Pen'leton  did  n' 
knowed  ernuff  'bout  bosses  ter  take 
keer  er  a  fine  racer,  dat  wuz  bis  own 
fune'al.  En  be  say  Kunnel  Pen'leton 
kin  sue  en  be  cusst  fer  all  be  keer,  but 
be  ain'  gwine  ter  gib  up  de  nigger  be 
bougbt  en  paid  fer. 

"  W'en  Kunnel  Pen'leton  got  dis  let- 
ter be  wuz  madder  'n  be  wuz  befo', 
'spesbly  'ca'se  dis  man  'lowed  be  didn' 
know  bow  ter  take  keer  er  fine  bosses. 
But  be  could  n'  do  nuffin  but  fetcb  a 
lawsuit,  en  be  knowed,  by  bis  own  'spe- 
'ience,  dat  lawsuits  wuz  slow  ez  de 
seben-yeah  eetcb  and  cos'  mo'  d'n  dey 
come  ter,  en  be  'lowed  he  better  go 
slow  en  wait  awhile. 

"  Aun'  Peggy  knowed  w'at  wuz  gwine 
on  all  dis  time,  en  she  fix'  up  a  little  bag 
wid  some  roots  en  one  thing  en  ernudder 
in  it,  en  gun  it  ter  dis  sparrer  er  her'n, 
en  tol'  'im  ter  take  it  'way  down  yander 


Szs'  Becky's  Pickaninny         155 

whar  Sis'  Becky  wuz,  en  drap  it  right 
befo'  de  do'  er  her  cabin,  so  she  'd  be 
sho'  en  fin'  it  de  fus'  time  she  come 
out'n  de  do'. 

"  One  night  Sis'  Becky  dremp'  her 
pickaninny  wuz  dead,  en  de  nex'  day  she 
wuz  mo'nin'  en  groanin'  all  day.  She 
dremp'  de  same  dream  th'ee  nights  run- 
nin',  en  den,  de  nex'  mawnin'  atter  de 
las'  night,  she  foun'  dis  yer  little  bag  de 
sparrer  had  drap'  in  front  her  do' ;  en 
she  'lowed  she'd  be'n  cunju'd,  en  wuz 
gwine  ter  die,  en  ez  long  ez  her  picka- 
ninny wuz  dead  dey  wa'n't  no  use  tryin' 
ter  do  nuffin  nohow.  En  so  she  tuk  'n 
went  ter  bed,  en  tol'  her  marster  she  'd 
be'n  cunju'd  en  wuz  gwine  ter  die. 

"  Her  marster  lafft  at  her,  en  argyed 
wid  her,  en  tried  ter  'suade  her  out'n  dis 
yer  fool  notion,  ez  he  called  it,  —  f er  he 
wuz  one  er  dese  yer  w'ite  folks  w'at 
purten'  dey  doan  b'liebe  in  cunj'in',  — 
but  hit  wa'n't  no  use.     Sis'  Becky  kep' 


156  The  Conjure  Woman 

gittin'  wusser  en  wusser,  'tel  fin'lly  dis 
yer  man  'lowed  Sis'  Becky  wuz  gvvine 
ter  die,  sho'  'nuff.  En  ez  he  knowed 
dey  had  n'  be'n  nuffin  de  matter  wid 
Lightnin'  Bug  w'en  he  traded  'im,  he 
'lowed  mebbe  he  could  kyo'  'im  en  fetch 
'im  roun'  all  right,  leas'ways  good  'nuff 
ter  sell  ag'in.  En  anyhow,  a  lame  hoss 
wuz  better  'n  a  dead  nigger.  So  he  sot 
down  en  writ  Kunnel  Pen'leton  a  letter. 
"  '  My  conscience,'  sezee,  '  has  be'n 
troublin'  me  'bout  dat  ringbone'  hoss  I 
sol'  you.  Some  folks  'lows  a  hoss  trader 
ain'  got  no  conscience,  but  dey  doan 
know  me,  fer  dat  is  my  weak  spot,  en  de 
reason  I  ain'  made  no  mo'  money  hoss 
tradin'.  Fac'  is,'  sezee,  '  I  is  got  so  I 
can't  sleep  nights  fum  studyin'  'bout  dat 
spavin'  hoss  ;  en  I  is  made  up  my  min' 
dat,  w'iles  a  bahg'in  is  a  bahg'in,  en  you 
seed  Lightnin'  Bug  befo'  you  traded  fer 
'im,  principle  is  wuth  mo'  d'n  money  er 
bosses  er   niggers.     So   ef  you  '11    sen' 


Szs^  Becky  s  Pickaninny         157 

Lightnin'  Bug  down  heah,  I  '11  sen'  yo' 
nigger  'oman  back,  en  we  '11  call  de 
trade  off,  en  be  ez  good  frien's  ez  we 
eber  wuz,  en  no  ha'd  feelin's.' 

"  So  sho'  'nu£f,  Kunnel  Pen'leton  sont 
de  boss  back.  En  w'en  de  man  w'at 
come  ter  bring  Lightnin'  Bug  tol'  Sis' 
Becky  her  pickaninny  wa'n't  dead,  Sis' 
Becky  wuz  so  glad  dat  she  'lowed  she 
wuz  gwine  ter  try  ter  lib  'tel  she  got 
back  whar  she  could  see  little  Mose 
once  mo'.  En  w'en  she  retch'  de  ole 
plantation  en  seed  her  baby  kickin'  en 
crowin'  en  holdin'  out  his  little  arms 
to'ds  her,  she  wush'  she  wuz  n'  cunju'd 
en  did  n'  hafter  die.  En  w'en  Aun' 
Nancy  tol'  'er  all  'bout  Aun'  Peggy,  Sis' 
Becky  went  down  ter  see  de  cunjuh 
'oman,  en  Aun'  Peggy  tol'  her  she  had 
cunju'd  her.  En  den  Aun'  Peggy  tuk 
de  goopher  off' n  her,  en  she  got  well,  en 
stayed  on  de  plantation,  en  raise'  her 
pickaninny.    En  w'en  little  Mose  growed 


158  The  Conjure   Woman 

up,  he  could  sing  en  whistle  des  lack  a 
mawkin'-bird,  so  dat  de  w'ite  folks  use- 
ter  hab  'im  come  up  ter  de  big  house  at 
night,  en  whistle  en  sing  fer  'em,  en 
dey  useter  gib  'im  money  en  vittles  en 
one  thing  er  ernudder,  w'ich  he  alluz  tuk 
home  ter  his  mammy ;  fer  he  knowed 
all  'bout  w'at  she  had  gone  th'oo.  He 
tu'nt  out  ter  be  a  sma't  man,  en  I'arnt 
de  blacksmif  trade  ;  en  Kunnel  Pen'le- 
ton  let  'im  hire  his  time.  En  bimeby 
he  bought  his  mammy  en  sot  her  free, 
en  den  he  bought  hisse'f,  en  tuk  keer  er 
Sis'  Becky  ez  long  ez  dey  bofe  libbed." 

My  wife  had  listened  to  this  story 
with  greater  interest  than  she  had  mani- 
fested in  any  subject  for  several  days. 
I  had  watched  her  furtively  from  time 
to  time  during  the  recital,  and  had  ob- 
served the  play  of  her  countenance.  It 
had  expressed  in  turn  sympathy,  indig- 
nation, pity,  and  at  the  end  lively  satis- 
faction. 


Szs'  Beckys  Pickaninny         159 

"  That  is  a  very  ingenious  fairy  tale, 
Julius,"  I  said,  "  and  we  are  much 
obliged  to  you," 

"  Why,  John  !  "  said  my  wife  severely, 
"  the  story  bears  the  stamp  of  truth,  if 
ever  a  story  did." 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  especially  the  hum- 
ming-bird episode,  and  the  mocking-bird 
digression,  to  say  nothing  of  the  doings 
of  the  hornet  and  the  sparrow." 

"  Oh,  well,  I  don't  care,"  she  rejoined, 
with  delightful  animation;  "those  are 
mere  ornamental  details  and  not  at  all 
essential.  The  story  is  true  to  nature, 
and  might  have  happened  half  a  hun- 
dred times,  and  no  doubt  did  happen,  in 
those  horrid  days  before  the  war." 

"By  the  way,  Julius,"  I  remarked, 
"  your  story  does  n't  establish  what  you 
started  out  to  prove, — that  a  rabbit's 
foot  brings  good  luck." 

"  Hit 's  plain  'nuff  ter  me,  suh,"  replied 
Julius.  "  I  bet  young  missis  dere  kin 
'splain  it  herse'f." 


i6o  The  Conjure   Woman 

**  I  rather  suspect,"  replied  my  wife 
promptly,  "  that  Sis'  Becky  had  no  rab- 
bit's foot." 

"  You  is  hit  de  bull's-eye  de  fus'  fire, 
ma'm,"  assented  Julius.  "  Ef  Sis'  Becky 
had  had  a  rabbit  foot,  she  nebber  would 
'a'  went  th'oo  all  dis  trouble." 

I  went  into  the  house  for  some  pur- 
pose, and  left  Julius  talking  to  my  wife. 
When  I  came  back  a  moment  later,  he 
was  gone. 

My  wife's  condition  took  a  turn  for 
the  better  from  this  very  day,  and  she 
was  soon  on  the  way  to  ultimate  recov- 
ery. Several  weeks  later,  after  she  had 
resumed  her  afternoon  drives,  which  had 
been  interrupted  by  her  illness,  Julius 
brought  the  rockaway  round  to  the  front 
door  one  day,  and  I  assisted  my  wife 
into  the  carriage. 

"John,"  she  said,  before  I  had  taken 
my  seat,  "  I  wish  you  would  look  in  my 
room,  and  bring  me   my  handkerchief. 


Sis'  Beckys  Pickaninny         i6i 

You  will  find  it  in  the  pocket  of  my  blue 
dress." 

I  went  to  execute  the  commission. 
When  I  pulled  the  handkerchief  out  of 
her  pocket,  something  else  came  with  it 
and  fell  on  the  floor.  I  picked  up  the 
object  and  looked  at  it.  It  was  Julius's 
rabbit's  foot. 


THE   GRAY   WOLF'S   HA'NT 

It  was  a  rainy  day  at  the  vineyard. 
The  morning  had  dawned  bright  and 
clear.  But  the  sky  had  soon  clouded, 
and  by  nine  o'clock  there  was  a  light 
shower,  followed  by  others  at  brief  inter- 
vals. By  noon  the  rain  had  settled  into 
a  dull,  steady  downpour.  The  clouds 
hung  low,  and  seemed  to  grow  denser 
instead  of  lighter  as  they  discharged 
their  watery  burden,  and  there  was  now 
a,nd  then  a  muttering  of  distant  thunder. 
Outdoor  work  was  suspended,  and  I 
spent  most  of  the  day  at  the  house, 
looking  over  my  accounts  and  bringing 
up  some  arrears  of  correspondence. 

Towards  four  o'clock  I  went  out  on 
the  piazza,  which  was  broad  and  dry, 
and  less  gloomy  than  the  interior  of  the 


The  Gray  Wolf's  Ha'nt         163 

house,  and  composed  myself  for  a  quiet 
smoke.  I  had  lit  my  cigar  and  opened 
the  volume  I  was  reading  at  that  time, 
when  my  wife,  whom  I  had  left  dozing 
on  a  lounge,  came  out  and  took  a  rock- 
ing-chair near  me. 

"  I  wish  you  would  talk  to  me,  or  read 
to  me  —  or  something,"  she  exclaimed 
petulantly.  "  It 's  awfully  dull  here  to- 
day." 

"  I  '11  read  to  you  with  pleasure,"  I 
replied,  and  began  at  the  point  where  I 
had  found  my  bookmark  :  — 

"'The  difficulty  of  dealing  with  trans- 
formations so  many-sided  as  those  which 
all  existences  have  undergone,  or  are 
undergoing,  is  such  as  to  make  a  com- 
plete and  deductive  interpretation  al- 
most hopeless.  So  to  grasp  the  total 
process  of  redistribution  of  matter  and 
motion  as  to  see  simultaneously  its 
several  necessary  results  in  their  actual 
interdependence  is  scarcely  possible. 
There  is,  however,  a  mode  of  rendering 


164  The  Cojij'ure   Woman 

the  process  as  a  whole  tolerably  compre- 
hensible. Though  the  genesis  of  the 
rearrangement  of  every  evolving  aggre- 
gate is  in  itself  one,  it  presents  to  our 
intelligence  ' "  — 

"  John,"  interrupted  my  wife,  "  I  wish 
you  would  stop  reading  that  nonsense 
and  see  who  that  is  coming  up  the 
lane." 

I  closed  my  book  with  a  sigh.  I  had 
never  been  able  to  interest  my  wife  in 
the  study  of  philosophy,  even  when  pre- 
sented in  the  simplest  and  most  lucid 
form. 

Some  one  was  coming  up  the  lane ; 
at  least,  a  huge  faded  cotton  umbrella 
was  making  progress  toward  the  house, 
and  beneath  it  a  pair  of  nether  extremi- 
ties in  trousers  was  discernible.  Any 
doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  whose  they  were 
was  soon  resolved  when  Julius  reached 
the  steps  and,  putting  the  umbrella 
down,  got  a  good  dash  of  the  rain  as  he 
stepped  up  on  the  porch. 


The  Gray  Wolf's  Hant         165 

"  Why  in  the  world,  Julius,"  I  asked, 
"  did  n't  you  keep  the  umbrella  up  until 
you  got  under  cover  ?  " 

"  It 's  bad  luck,  suh,  ter  raise  a'  um- 
brella in  de  house,  en  w'iles  I  dunno 
whuther  it 's  bad  luck  ter  kyar  one  inter 
de  piazzer  er  no,  I  'lows  it 's  alluz  bes' 
ter  be  on  de  safe  side.  I  did  n'  s'pose 
you  en  young  missis  'u'd  be  gwine  on 
yo'  dribe  ter-day,  but  bein'  ez  it 's  my 
pa't  ter  take  you  ef  you  does,  I  'lowed 
I  'd  repo't  fer  dooty,  en  let  you  say 
whuther  er  no  you  wants  ter  go." 

"  I  'm  glad  you  came,  Julius,"  I  re- 
sponded. "  We  don't  want  to  go  driv- 
ing, of  course,  in  the  rain,  but  I  should 
like  to  consult  you  about  another  mat- 
ter. I  'm  thinking  of  taking  in  a  piece 
of  new  ground.  What  do  you  imagine 
it  would  cost  to  have  that  neck  of  woods 
down  by  the  swamp  cleared  up  .-• " 

The  old  man's  countenance  assumed 
an  expression  of  unwonted  seriousness, 
and  he  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 


1 66  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  I  dunno  'bout  dat,  suh.  It  mought 
cos'  mo',  en  it  mought  cos'  less,  ez  fuh 
ez  money  is  consarned.  I  ain'  denyin' 
you  could  cl'ar  up  dat  trac'  er  Ian'  fer  a 
hund'ed  er  a  couple  er  hund'ed  dollahs, 
—  ef  you  wants  ter  cl'ar  it  up.  But  ef 
dat  'uz  my  trac'  er  Ian',  I  would  n'  'sturb 
it,  no,  suh,  I  would  n'  ;  sho  's  you  bawn, 
I  would  n'." 

"  But  why  not  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  It  ain'  fittin'  fer  grapes,  fer  noo 
groun'  nebber  is." 

"  I  know  it,  but  "  — 

"  It  ain'  no  yeathly  good  fer  cotton, 
'ca'se  it 's  too  low." 

"  Perhaps  so ;  but  it  will  raise  splen- 
did corn." 

"I  dunno,"  rejoined  Julius  depreca- 
torily.  "  It 's  so  nigh  de  swamp  dat  de 
'coons  '11  eat  up  all  de  cawn." 

"  I  think  I  '11  risk  it,"  I  answered. 

"  Well,  suh,"  said  Julius,  "  I  wushes 
you  much  joy  er  yo'  job.     Ef  you  has 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         167 

bad  luck  er  sickness  er  trouble  er  any 
kin',  doan  blame  me.  You  can't  say  ole 
Julius  did  n'  wa'n  you." 

"  Warn  him  of  what,  Uncle  Julius  ? " 
asked  my  wife. 

"  Er  de  bad  luck  w'at  follers  folks 
w'at  'sturbs  dat  trac'  er  Ian',  Dey  is 
snakes  en  sco'pions  in  dem  woods.  En 
ef  you  manages  ter  'scape  de  p'isen  ani- 
mals, you  is  des  boun'  ter  hab  a  ha'nt 
ter  settle  wid,  —  ef  you  doan  hab  two." 

"  Whose  haunt }  "  my  wife  demanded, 
with  growing  interest. 

"  De  gray  wolf's  ha'nt,  some  folks 
calls  it,  —  but  I  knows  better." 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  Uncle  Julius,"  said 
my  wife.  "  A  story  will  be  a  godsend 
to-day." 

It  was  not  difficult  to  induce  the  old 
man  to  tell  a  story,  if  he  were  in  a  remi- 
niscent mood.  Of  tales  of  the  old  sla- 
very days  he  seemed  indeed  to  possess 
an    exhaustless    store,  —  some   weirdly 


The  Conjure   Woman 


grotesque,  some  broadly  humorous ;  some 
bearing  the  stamp  of  truth,  faint,  per- 
haps, but  still  discernible  ;  others  palpa- 
ble inventions,  whether  his  own  or  not 
we  never  knew,  though  his  fancy  doubt- 
less embellished  them.  But  even  the 
wildest  was  not  without  an  element  of 
pathos,  —  the  tragedy,  it  might  be,  of 
the  story  itself;  the  shadow,  never  ab- 
sent, of  slavery  and  of  ignorance  ;  the 
sadness,  always,  of  life  as  seen  by  the 
fading  light  of  an  old  man's  memory. 

"  Way  back  yander  befo'  de  wah," 
began  Julius,  "  ole  Mars  Dugal'  McAdoo 
useter  own  a  nigger  name'  Dan.  Dan 
wuz  big  en  strong  en  hearty  en  peace- 
able en  good-nachu'd  most  er  de  time, 
but  dange'ous  ter  aggervate.  He  alluz 
done  his  task,  en  nebber  had  no  trouble 
wid  de  w'ite  folks,  but  woe  be  unter 
de  nigger  w'at  'lowed  he  c'd  fool  wid 
Dan,  fer  he  wuz  mos'  sho'  ter  git  a  good 
lammiri'.     Soon  ez  eve'ybody  foun*  Dan 


The  Gray  Wolf's  Hctnt         169 

out,  dey  did  n'  many  un  'em  'temp'  ter 
'sturb  'im.  De  one  dat  did  would  'a' 
wush'  he  had  n',  ef  he  could  'a'  libbed 
long  ernuff  ter  do  any  wushin'. 

"  It  all  happen'  dis  erway.  Dey  wuz 
a  cunjuh  man  w'at  libbed  ober  t'  other 
side  er  de  Lumbe'ton  Road.  He  had 
be'n  de  only  cunjuh  doctor  in  de  naber- 
hood  fer  lo  !  dese  many  yeahs,  'tel  ole 
Aun'  Peggy  sot  up  in  de  bizness  down 
by  de  Wim'l'ton  Road.  Dis  cunjuh 
man  had  a  son  w'at  libbed  wid  'im,  en 
it  wuz  dis  yer  son  w'at  got  mix'  up  wid 
Dan,  —  en  all  'bout  a  'oman. 

"Dey  wuz  a  gal  on  de  plantation 
name'  Mahaly.  She  wuz  a  monst'us 
lackly  gal,  —  tall  en  soopl',  wid  big  eyes, 
en  a  small  foot,  en  a  lively  tongue,  en 
w'en  Dan  tuk  ter  gwine  wid  'er  eve'y- 
body  'lowed  dey  wuz  well  match',  en 
none  er  de  yuther  nigger  men  on  de 
plantation  das'  ter  go  nigh  her,  fer  dey 
wuz  all  feared  er  Dan. 


I/O  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  Now,  it  happen'  dat  dis  yer  cunjuh 
man's  son  wuz  gwine  'long  de  road  one 
day,  w'en  who  sh'd  come  pas'  but  Ma- 
haly.  En  de  minute  dis  man  sot  eyes 
on  Mahaly,  he  'lowed  he  wuz  gwine  ter 
hab  her  fer  hisse'f.  He  come  up  side 
er  her  en  'mence'  ter  talk  ter  her ;  but 
she  didn'  paid  no  'tention  ter  'im,  fer 
she  wuz  studyin'  'bout  Dan,  en  she  did 
n'  lack  dis  nigger's  looks  nohow.  So 
w'en  she  got  ter  whar  she  wuz  gwine, 
dis  yer  man  wa'n't  no  fu'ther  'long  dan 
he  wuz  w'en  he  sta'ted. 

"  Co'se,  atter  he  had  made  up  his  min' 
fer  ter  git  Mahaly,  he  'mence'  ter  'quire 
'roun',  en  soon  foun'  out  all  'bout  Dan, 
en  w'at  a  dange'ous  nigger  he  wuz.  But 
dis  man  'lowed  his  daddy  wuz  a  cunjuh^ 
man,  en  so  he  'd  come  out  all  right  in  de 
een' ;  en  he  kep'  right  on  atter  Mahaly. 
Meanw'iles  Dan's  marster  had  said  dey 
could  git  married  ef  dey  wanter,  en  so 
Dan  en  Mahaly  had  tuk  up  wid  one  er- 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         171 

nudder,  en  wuz  libbin'  in  a  cabin  by  dey- 
se'ves,  en  wuz  des  wrop'  up  in  one  er- 
nudder. 

"But  dis  yer  cunjuh  man's  son  did  n' 
'pear  ter  min'  Dan's  takin'  up  wid  Ma- 
haly,  en  he  kep'  on  hangin'  *roun'  des  de 
same,  'tel  fin'lly  one  day  Mahaly  sez  ter 
Dan,  sez  she  :  — 

"  *  I  wush  you  'd  do  sump'n  ter  stop 
dat  free  nigger  man  fum  follerin'  me 
'roun'.  I  doan  lack  him  nohow,  en  I 
ain'  got  no  time  fer  ter  was'e  wid  no 
man  but  you.' 

"  Co'se  Dan  got  mad  w'en  he  beared 
'bout  dis  man  pest'rin'  Mahaly,  en  de 
nex'  night,  w'en  he  seed  dis  nigger 
comin'  'long  de  road,  he  up  en  ax'  'im 
w'at  he  mean  by  hangin'  'roun'  his  'oman. 
De  man  did  n'  'spon'  ter  suit  Dan,  en 
one  wo'd  led  ter  ernudder,  'tel  bimeby 
dis  cunjuh  man's  son  pull'  out  a  knife 
en  sta'ted  ter  stick  it  in  Dan  ;  but  befo* 
he  could  git  it  drawed  good,  Dan  haul' 


1/2  The  Conjure   Woman 

off  en  hit  'im  in  de  head  so  ha'd  dat  he 
nebber  got  up.  Dan  'lowed  he  'd  come 
to  atter  a  w'ile  en  go  'long  'bout  his  biz- 
ness,  so  he  went  off  en  lef  'im  layin' 
dere  on  de  groun'. 

"  De  nex'  mawnin'  de  man  wuz  foun' 
dead.  Dey  wuz  a  great  'miration  made 
'bout  it,  but  Dan  did  n'  say  nuffin,  en 
none  er  de  yuther  niggers  had  n'  seed 
de  fight,  so  dey  wa'n't  no  way  ter  tell 
who  done  de  killin'.  En  bein'  ez  it  wuz 
a  free  nigger,  en  dey  wa'n't  no  w'ite 
folks  'speshly  int'rusted,  dey  wa'n't  nuf- 
fin  done  'bout  it,  ende  cunjuh  man  come 
en  tuk  his  son  en  kyared  'im  'way  en 
buried  'im. 

"  Now,  Dan  had  n'  meant  ter  kill  dis 
nigger,  en  w'iles  he  knowed  de  man 
had  n'  got  no  mo'  d'n  he  desarved,  Dan 
'mence'  ter  worry  mo'  er  less.  Fer  he 
knowed  dis  man's  daddy  would  wuk  his 
roots  en  prob'ly  fin'  out  who  had  killt 
'is  son,  en  make  all  de  trouble  fer  'im 


TJlc  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         173 

he  could.  En  Dan  kep'  on  studyin' 
'bout  dis  'tel  he  got  so  he  did  n'  ha'dly 
das'  ter  eat  er  drink  fer  fear  dis  cunjuh 
man  had  p'isen'  de  vittles  er  de  water. 
Fin'lly  he  'lowed  he  'd  go  ter  see  Aun' 
Peggy,  de  noo  cunjuh  'oman  w'at  had 
moved  down  by  de  Wim'l'ton  Road,  en 
ax  her  fer  ter  do  sump'n  ter  pertec'  'im 
fum  dis  cunjuh  man.  So  he  tuk  a  peck 
er  'taters  en  went  down  ter  her  cabin 
one  night. 

"  Aun'  Peggy  beared  his  tale,  en  den 
sez  she  :  — 

"  *  Dat  cunjuh  man  is  mo'  d'n  twice't 
ez  ole  ez  I  is,  en  he  kin  make  monst'us 
powe'ful  goopher.  W'at  you  needs  is  a 
life-cha'm,  en  I  '11  make  you  one  ter-mor- 
rer ;  it 's  de  on'y  thing  w'at  '11  do  you 
any  good.  You  leabe  me  a  couple  er 
ha'rs  fum  yo'  head,  en  fetch  me  a  pig 
ter-morrer  night  fer  ter  roas',  en  w'en 
you  come  I  '11  hab  de  cha'm  all  ready 
fer  you.' 


174  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  So  Dan  went  down  ter  Aun'  Peggy 
de  nex'  night,  —  wid  a  young  shote,  —  en 
Aun'  Peggy  gun  'im  de  cha'm.  She 
had  tuk  de  ha'rs  Dan  had  lef  wid  'er, 
en  a  piece  er  red  flannin,  en  some  roots 
en  yarbs,  en  had  put  'em  in  a  little  bag 
made  out'n  'coon-skin. 

"  *  You  take  dis  cha'm,'  sez  she,  '  en 
put  it  in  a  bottle  er  a  tin  box,  en  bury 
it  deep  unner  de  root  er  a  live-oak  tree, 
en  ez  long  ez  it  stays  dere  safe  en  soun', 
dey  ain'  no  p'isen  kin  p'isen  you,  dey 
ain'  no  rattlesnake  kin  bite  you,  dey 
ain'  no  sco'pion  kin  sting  you.  Dis  yere 
cunjuh  man  mought  do  one  thing  er 
'nudder  ter  you,  but  he  can't  kill  you. 
So  you  neenter  be  at  all  skeered,  but  go 
'long  'bout  yo'  bizness  en  doan  bother 
yo'  min'.' 

"  So  Dan  went  down  by  de  ribber,  en 
'way  up  on  de  bank  he  buried  de  cha'm 
deep  unner  de  root  er  a  live-oak  tree,  en 
kivered  it  up  en  stomp'  de  dirt  down  en 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         175 

scattered  leaves   ober  de  spot,   en  den 
went  home  wid  his  min'  easy. 

**Sho'  'nuff,  dis  yer  cunjuh  man  wukked 
his  roots,  des  ez  Dan  had  'spected  he 
would,  en  soon  I'arn'  who  killt  his  son. 
En  co'se  he  made  up  his  min'  fer  ter  git 
eben  wid  Dan.  So  he  sont  a  rattle- 
snake fer  ter  sting  'im,  but  de  rattle- 
snake say  de  nigger's  heel  wuz  so  ha'd 
he  could  n'  git  his  sting  in.  Den  he 
sont  his  jay-bird  fer  ter  put  p'isen  in 
Dan's  vittles,  but  de  p'isen  did  n'  wuk. 
Den  de  cunjuh  man  'low'  he  'd  double 
Dan  all  up  wid  de  rheumatiz,  so  he 
could  n'  git  'is  han'  ter  his  mouf  ter  eat, 
en  would  hafter  sta've  ter  def ;  but  Dan 
went  ter  Aun'  Peggy,  en  she  gun  'im  a' 
'intment  ter  kyo  de  rheumatiz.  Den  de 
cunjuh  man  'lowed  he  'd  bu'n  Dan  up 
wid  a  fever,  but  Aun'  Peggy  tol'  'im  how 
ter  make  some  yarb  tea  fer  dat.  Nuffin 
dis  man  tried  would  kill  Dan,  so  fin'lly 
de  cunjuh  man  'lowed  Dan  mus'  hab  a 
life-cha'm. 


1/6  The  Conjure   Woma^i 

"Now,  dis  yer  jay-bird  de  cunjuh  man 
had  wuz  a  monst'us  sma't  creeter,  —  f ac', 
de  niggers  'lowed  he  wuz  de  ole  Debbil 
hisse'f,  des  settin'  roun'  waitin'  ter  kyar 
dis  ole  man  erway  w'en  he  'd  retch'  de 
een'  er  his  rope.  De  cunjuh  man  sont 
dis  jay-bird  fer  ter  watch  Dan  en  fin' 
out  whar  he  kep'  his  cha'm.  De  jay -bird 
hung  roun'  Dan  fer  a  week  er  so,  en 
one  day  he  seed  Dan  go  down  by  de 
ribber  en  look  at  a  live-oak  tree ;  en  den 
de  jay-bird  went  back  ter  his  marster, 
en  tol'  'im  he  'spec'  de  nigger  kep'  his 
life-cha'm  under  dat  tree. 

"  De  cunjuh  man  lafft  en  lafft,  en  he 
put  on  his  bigges'  pot,  en  fill'  it  wid  his 
stronges'  roots,  en  b'iled  it  en  b'iled  it, 
'tel  bimeby  de  win'  blowed  en  blowed, 
'tel  it  blowed  down  de  live-oak  tree. 
Den  he  stirred  some  more  roots  in  de 
pot,  en  it  rained  en  rained  'tel  de  water 
run  down  de  ribber  bank  en  wash'  Dan's 
life-cha'm  inter  de  ribber,  en  de  bottle 


The  Gray  Wolf  s  Ha'nt         177 

went  bobbin'  down  de  current  des  ez 
onconsarned  ez  ef  it  wa'n't  takin'  po' 
Dan's  chances  all  'long  wid  it.  En  den 
de  cunjuh  man  lafft  some  mo',  en  'lowed 
ter  hisse'f  dat  he  wuz  gwine  ter  fix  Dan 
now,  she'  'nuff ;  he  wa'n't  gwine  ter  kill 
'im  des  yet,  fer  he  could  do  sump'n  ter 
'im  w'at  would  hu't  wusser  'n  killin'. 

"  So  dis  cunjuh  man  'mence'  by  gwine 
up  ter  Dan's  cabin  eve'y  night,  en  takin' 
Dan  out  in  his  sleep  en  ridin'  'im  roun' 
de  roads  en  fiel's  ober  de  rough  groun'. 
In  de  mawnin'  Dan  would  be  ez  ti'ed  ez 
ef  he  had  n'  be'n  ter  sleep.  Dis  kin'  er 
thing  kep'  up  fer  a  week  er  so,  en  Dan 
had  des  'bout  made  up  his  min'  fer  ter 
go  en  see  Aun'  Peggy  ag'in,  w'en  who 
sh'd  he  come  across,  gwine  'long  de 
road  one  day,  to'ds  sundown,  but  dis  yer 
cunjuh  man.  Dan  felt  kinder  skeered 
at  fus' ;  but  den  he  'membered  'bout  his 
life-cha'm,  w'ich  he  had  n'  be'n  ter  see 
fer  a  week  er  so,  en  'lowed  wuz  safe  en 


1/8  The  Conjure   Woman 

soun'  unner  de  live-oak  tree,  en  so  he 
hilt  up  'is  head  en  walk'  'long,  des  lack 
he  did  n'  keer  nuffin  'bout  dis  man  no 
mo'  d'n  any  yuther  nigger.  Wen  he 
got  close  ter  de  cunjuh  man,  dis  cunjuh 
man  sez,  sezee  :  — 

*"  Hoddy,  Brer  Dan?  I  hopes  you 
er  well  ? ' 

"Wen  Dan  seed  de  cunjuh  man  wuz 
in  a  good  humor  en  did  n'  'pear  ter  bear 
no  malice,  Dan  'lowed  mebbe  de  cunjuh 
man  had  n'  foun'  out  who  killt  his  son, 
en  so  he  'termine'  fer  ter  let  on  lack  he 
did  n'  know  nuffin,  en  so  sezee  :  — 

"  *  Hoddy,  Unk'  Jube  ? ' — dis  ole  cun- 
juh man's  name  wuz  Jube.  '  I 's  p'utty 
well,  I  thank  you.  How  is  you  feelin' 
dis  mawnin ' } ' 

"  *  I 's  feelin'  ez  well  ez  a'  ole  nigger 
could  feel  w'at  had  los'  his  only  son,  en 
his  main  'pen'ence  in  'is  ole  age. 

"  *  But  den  my  son  wuz  a  bad  boy,' 
sezee,  "^en  I  could  n'  'spec'  nuffin  e'se. 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         179 

I  tried  ter  Tarn  him  de  arrer  er  his  ways 
en  make  him  go  ter  chu'ch  en  pra'r- 
meetin' ;  but  it  wa'n't  no  use.  I  dunno 
who  killt  'im,  en  I  doan  wanter  know, 
fer  I  'd  be  mos'  sho'  ter  fin'  out  dat  my 
boy  had  sta'ted  de  fuss.  Ef  I  'd  'a'  had 
a  son  lack  you,  Brer  Dan,  I  'd  'a'  be'n  a 
proud  nigger ;  oh,  yas,  I  would,  sho 's 
you  bawn.  But  you  ain'  lookin'  ez  well 
ez  you  oughter.  Brer  Dan.  Dey  's 
sump'n  de  matter  wid  you,  en  w'at  's 
mo',  I  'spec'  you  dunno  w'at  it  is.* 

"  Now,  dis  yer  kin'  er  talk  nach'ly 
th'owed  Dan  off'n  his  gya'd,  en  fus' 
thing  he  knowed  he  wuz  talkin'  ter  dis 
ole  cunjuh  man  des  lack  he  wuz  one  er 
his  bes'  frien's.  He  tol'  'im  all  'bout 
not  feelin'  well  in  de  mawnin',  en  ax' 
'im  ef  he  could  tell  w'at  wuz  de  matter 
wid  'im. 

"  '  Yas,'  sez  de  cunjuh  man.  '  Dey  is 
a  witch  be'n  ridin'  you  right  'long.  I 
kin  see  de  marks  er  de   bridle   on   yo' 


i8o  The  Conjure   Woman 

mouf.  En  I  '11  des  bet  yo'  back  is  raw 
whar  she  's  be'n  beatin'  you.' 

"'Yas,'  'spon'  Dan,  'so  it  is.'  He 
had  n'  notice  it  befo',  but  now  he  felt 
des  lack  de  hide  had  be'n  tuk  off'n  'im. 

"  *  En  yo'  thighs  is  des  raw  whar  de 
spurrers  has  be'n  driv'  in  you,'  sez  de 
cunjuh  man.  *  You  can't  see  de  raw 
spots,  but  you  kin  feel  'em.' 

"  *  Oh,  yas,'  'lows  Pan,  '  day  does  hu't 
pow'ful  bad,' 

"  '  En  w'at  's  mo','  sez  de  cunjuh  man, 
comin'  up  close  ter  Dan  en  whusp'in'  in 
his  yeah,  '  I  knows  who  it  is  be'n  ridin' 
you.' 

"'Who  is  it.?'  ax'  Dan.  'Tell  me 
who  it  is.' 

"  *  It 's  a'  ole  nigger  'oman  down  by 
Rockfish  Crick.  She  had  a  pet  rabbit, 
en  you  cotch'  'im  one  day,  en  she 's  been 
squarin'  up  wid  you  eber  sence.  But 
you  better  stop  her,  er  e'se  you  '11  be  rid 
ter  def  in  a  mont'  er  so.' 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Ha  nt         i8i 

" '  No,'  sez  Dan,  *  she  can't  kill  me, 
sho'.' 

" '  I  dunno  how  dat  is,'  said  de  cun- 
juh  man,  'but  she  kin  make  yo'  life 
mighty  mis'able.  Ef  I  wuz  in  yo'  place, 
I  'd  stop  her  right  off.' 

"  '  But  how  is  I  gwine  ter  stop  her  ? ' 
ax'  Dan.  '  I  dunno  nuffin  'bout  stoppin' 
witches.' 

"  *  Look  a  heah,  Dan,'  sez  de  yuther  ; 
'  you  is  a  good  young  man.  I  lacks  you 
monst'us  well.  Fac',  I  feels  lack  some 
er  dese  days  I  mought  buy  you  fum  yo' 
marster,  ef  I  could  eber  make  money 
ernuff  at  my  bizness  dese  hard  times,  en 
'dop'  you  fer  my  son.  I  lacks  you  so  well 
dat  I  'm  gwine  ter  he'p  you  git  rid  er  dis 
yer  witch  fer  good  en  all ;  fer  des  ez 
long  ez  she  libs,  you  is  sho'  ter  hab  trou- 
ble, en  trouble,  en  mo'  trouble.' 

"  *  You  is  de  bes'  frien'  I  got,  Unk* 
Jube,'  sez  Dan,  '  en  I  '11  'member  yo' 
kin'ness  ter  my  dyin'  day.    Tell  me  how 


1 82  The  Conjure   Woman 

I  kin  git  rid  er  dis  yer  ole  witch  w'at  's 
be'n  ridin'  me  so  ha'd.' 

"'In  de  fus'  place,'  sez  de  cunjuh 
man,  *  dis  ole  witch  nebber  comes  in 
her  own  shape,  but  eve'y  night,  at  ten 
o'clock,  she  tu'ns  herse'f  inter  a  black 
cat,  en  runs  down  ter  yo'  cabin  en  bridles 
you,  en  mounts  you,  en  dribes  you  out 
th'oo  de  chimbly,  en  rides  you  ober  de 
roughes'  places  she  kin  fin'.  All  you 
got  ter  do  is  ter  set  fer  her  in  de  bushes 
'side  er  yo'  cabin,  en  hit  her  in  de  head 
wid  a  rock  er  a  lighterd-knot  w'en  she 
goes  pas'.' 

" '  But,'  sez  Dan,  *  how  kin  I  see  her 
in  de  da'k  ?  En  s'posen  I  hits  at  her 
en  misses  her  ?  Er  s'posen  I  des  woun's 
her,  en  she  gits  erway,  —  w'at  she  gwine 
do  ter  me  den  ? ' 

" '  I  is  done  studied  'bout  all  dem 
things,'  sez  de  cunjuh  man,  *  en  it  'pears 
ter  me  de  bes'  plan  fer  you  ter  foller  is 
ter   lemme  tu'n   you  ter  some  creetur 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         183 

w'at  kin  see  in  de  da'k,  en  w'at  kin  run 
des  ez  fas'  ez  a  cat,  en  w'at  kin  bite, 
en  bite  fer  ter  kill ;  en  den  you  won't 
hafter  hab  no  trouble  atter  de  job  is 
done.  I  dunno  whuther  you  'd  lack  dat 
er  no,  but  dat  is  de  sho'es'  way.' 

"  *  I  doan  keer,'  'spon'  Dan.  *  I  'd 
des  ez  lief  be  anything  fer  a'  hour  er  so, 
ef  I  kin  kill  dat  ole  witch.  You  kin  do 
des  w'at  you  er  mineter.' 

"  '  All  right,  den,'  sez  de  cunjuh  man, 
'you  come  down  ter  my  cabin  at  half- 
past  nine  o'clock  ter-night,  en  I  '11  fix 
you  up.' 

"Now,  dis  cunjuh  man,  w'en  he  had 
got  th'oo  talkin'  wid  Dan,  kep'  on  down 
de  road  'long  de  side  er  de  plantation, 
'tel  he  met  Mahaly  comin'  home  fum 
wuk  des  atter  sundown. 

"  *  Hoddy  do,  ma'm,'  sezee  ;  *  is  yo' 
name  Sis'  Mahaly,  w'at  b'longs  ter  Mars 
Dugal'  McAdoo  > ' 

'* '  Yas,'  'spon'  Mahaly,  *  dat 's  my 
name,  en  I  b'longs  ter  Mars  Dugal'.' 


184  The  Conjure    Woman 

"  *  Well/  sezee,  '  yo'  husban'  Dan  wuz 
down  by  my  cabin  dis  ebenin',  en  he  got 
bit  by  a  spider  er  sump'n,  en  his  foot  is 
swoir  up  so  he  can't  walk.  En  he  ax' 
me  fer  ter  fin'  you  en  fetch  you  down 
dere  ter  he'p  'im  home.' 

"Co'se  Mahaly  wanter  see  w'at  had 
happen'  ter  Dan,  en  so  she  sta'ted  down 
de  road  wid  de  cunjuh  man.  Ez  soon 
ez  he  got  her  inter  his  cabin,  he  shet  de 
do',  en  sprinkle'  some  goopher  mixtry 
on  her,  en  tu'nt  her  ter  a  black  cat. 
Den  he  tuk  'n  put  her  in  a  bairl,  en  put 
a  bo'd  on  de  bairl,  en  a  rock  on  de  bo'd, 
en  lef  her  dere  'tel  he  got  good  en 
ready  fer  ter  use  her. 

"'Long  'bout  half -pas'  nine  o'clock 
Dan  come  down  ter  de  cunjuh  man's 
cabin.  It  wuz  a  wa'm  night,  en  de  do' 
wuz  stan'in'  open.  De  cunjuh  man 
'vited  Dan  ter  come  in,  en  pass'  de 
time  er  day  wid  'im.  Ez  soon  ez  Dan 
'mence' talkin',  he  beared  a  cat  miauin' 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hd7it         185 

en  scratchin'  en  gwine  on  at  a  tarrable 
rate. 

"  '  Wat 's  all  dat  fuss  'bout  ? '  ax  Dan. 

"  '  Oh,  dat  ain'  nuffin  but  my  ole  gray 
tomcat,'  sez  de  cunjuh  man.  *  I  has 
ter  shet  'im  up  sometimes  fer  ter  keep 
'im  in  nights,  en  co'se  he  doan  lack  it. 

"  '  Now,'  'lows  de  cunjuh  man,  '  lemme 
tell  you  des  w'at  you  is  got  ter  do. 
Wen  you  ketches  dis  witch,  you  mus' 
take  her  right  by  de  th'oat  en  bite  her 
right  th'oo  de  neck.  Be  sho'  yo'  teef 
goes  th'oo  at  de  fus'  bite,  en  den  you 
won't  nebber  be  bothe'd  no  mo'  by  dat 
witch.  En  w'en  you  git  done,  come 
back  heah  en  I  '11  tu'n  you  ter  yo'se'f 
ag'in,  so  you  kin  go  home  en  git  yo' 
night's  res'.' 

"Den  de  cunjuh  man  gun  Dan 
sump'n  nice  en  sweet  ter  drink  out'n  a 
new  go'd,  en  in  'bout  a  minute  Dan  foun' 
hisse'f  tu'nt  ter  a  gray  wolf ;  en  soon 
ez  he  felt  all  fo'  er  his  noo  feet  on  de 


1 86  The  Conjure    Woman 

groun',  he  sta'ted  off  fas'  ez  he  could  far 
his  own  cabin,  so  he  could  be  sho'  en  be 
dere  time  ernuff  ter  ketch  de  witch,  en 
put  a'  een'  ter  her  kyarin's-on. 

**  Ez  soon  ez  Dan  wuz  gone  good,  de 
cunjuh  man  tuk  de  rock  off'n  de  bo'd, 
en  de  bo'd  off'n  de  bairl,  en  out  le'p' 
Mahaly  en  sta'ted  fer  ter  go  home,  des 
lack  a  cat  er  a  'oman  er  anybody  e'se 
would  w'at  wuz  in  trouble  ;  *en  it  wa'n't 
many  minutes  befo'  she  wuz  gwine  up 
de  path  ter  her  own  do'. 

"  Meanw'iles,  w'en  Dan  had  retch'  de 
cabin,  he  had  hid  hisse'f  in  a  bunch  er 
jimson  weeds  in  de  ya'd.  He  hadn' 
wait'  long  befo'  he  seed  a  black  cat  run 
up  de  path  to'ds  de  do'.  Des  ez  soon 
ez  she  got  close  ter  'im,  he  le'p'  out  en 
ketch'  her  by  de  th'oat,  en  got  a  grip 
on  her,  des  lack  de  cunjuh  man  had  tol' 
'im  ter  do.  En  lo  en  behol' !  no  sooner 
had  de  blood  'mence'  ter  flow  dan  de 
black  cat  tu'nt  back  ter  Mahaly,  en  Dan 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         187 

seed  dat  he  had  killt  his  own  wife.  En 
w'iles  her  bref  wuz  gwine  she  call'  out : 

"  *  O  Dan !  O  my  husban' !  come  en 
he'p  me  !  come  en  sabe  me  fum  dis  wolf 
w'at  's  killin'  me  ! ' 

"Wen  po'  Dan  sta'ted  to'ds  her,  ez 
any  man  nach'ly  would,  it  des  made  her 
holler  wuss  en  wuss ;  fer  she  did  n' 
knowed  dis  yer  wolf  wuz  her  Dan.  En 
Dan  des  had  ter  hide  in  de  weeds,  en 
grit  his  teef  en  hoi'  hisse'f  in,  'tel  she 
passed  out'n  her  mis'ry,  callin'  fer  Dan  ter 
de  las',  en  wond'rin'  w'y  he  did  n'  come 
en  he'p  her.  En  Dan  'lowed  ter  hisse'f 
he  'd  ruther  'a'  be'n  killt  a  dozen  times  'n 
ter  'a'  done  w'at  he  had  ter  Mahaly. 

"  Dan  wuz  mighty  nigh  'stracted,  but 
w'en  Mahaly  wuz  dead  en  he  got  his 
min'  straighten'  out  a  little,  it  did  n' 
take  'im  mo'  d'n  a  minute  er  so  fer  ter 
see  th'oo  all  de  cunjuh  man's  lies,  en 
how  de  cunjuh  man  had  fooled  'im  en 
made  'im  kill  Mahaly,  fer  ter  git  eben 


The  Conjure   Woman 


wid  'im  fer  killin'  er  his  son.  He  kep* 
gittin'  madder  en  madder,  en  Mahaly 
had  n'  much  mo'  d'n  drawed  her'  las  bref 
befo'  he  sta'ted  back  ter  de  cunjuh 
man's  cabin  ha'd  ez  he  could  run. 

"  Wen  he  got  dere,  de  do'  wuz  stan'in' 
open ;  a  lighterd-knot  wuz  flick'rin'  on 
de  h'a'th,  en  de  ole  cunjuh  man  wuz 
settin'  dere  noddin'  in  de  corner,  Dan 
le'p'  in  de  do'  en  jump'  fer  dis  man's 
th'oat,  en  got  de  same  grip  on  'im  w'at 
de  cunjuh  man  had  tol'  'im  'bout  half  a' 
hour  befo'.  It  wuz  ha'd  wuk  dis  time, 
fer  de  ole  man's  neck  wuz  monst'us 
tough  en  stringy,  but  Dan  hilt  on  long 
ernuff  ter  be  sho'  his  job  wuz  done 
right.  En  eben  den  he  did  n'  hoi'  on 
long  ernuff ;  fer  w'en  he  tu'nt  de  cun- 
juh man  loose  en  he  fell  ober  on  de  flo', 
de  cunjuh  man  rollt  his  eyes  at  Dan,  en 
sezee :  — 

"  *  I 's  eben  wid  you.  Brer  Dan,  en 
you  er  eben  wid  me  ;  you  killt  my  son 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Hdnt         189 

en  I  killt  yo'  'oman.  En  ez  I  doan  want 
no  mo'  d'n  w'at  's  fair  'bout  dis  thing, 
ef  you  '11  retch  up  wid  yo'  paw  en  take 
down  dat  go'd  hangin'  on  dat  peg  ober 
de  chimbly,  en  take  a  sip  er  dat  mixtry, 
it  '11  tu'n  you  back  ter  a  nigger  ag'in, 
en  I  kin  die  mo'  sad'sfied  'n  ef  I  lef 
you  lack  you  is.' 

"  Dan  nebber  'lowed  f er  a  minute  dat 
a  man  would  lie  wid  his  las'  bref,  en 
co'se  he  seed  de  sense  er  gittin'  tu'nt 
back  befo'  de  cunjuh  man  died;  so  he 
dumb  on  a  chair  en  retch'  fer  de  go'd,  en 
tuk  a  sip  er  de  mixtry.  En  ez  soon  ez 
he'd  done  dat  de  cunjuh  man  lafft  his 
las'  laf,  en  gapsed  out  wid  'is  las'  gaps  :  — 

"  '  Uh  huh  !  I  reckon  I 's  square  wid 
you  now  fer  killin'  me,  too ;  fer  dat 
goopher  on  you  is  done  fix'  en  sot  now 
fer  good,  en  all  de  cunj'in'  in  de  worl' 
won't  nebber  take  it  off. 

'  Wolf  you  is  en  wolf  you  stays, 
All  de  rest  er  yo'  bawn  days.* 


190  The  Conjure    Woman 

"  Co'se  Brer  Dan  could  n'  do  nuffin. 
He  knowed  it  wa'n't  no  use,  but  he 
dumb  up  on  de  chimbly  en  got  down 
de  go'ds  en  bottles  en  yuther  cunjuh 
fixin's,  en  tried  'em  all  on  hisse'f,  but  dey 
didn'  do  no  good.  Den  he  run  down 
ter  ole  Aun'  Peggy,  but  she  did  n'  know 
de  wolf  langwidge,  en  couldn't  'a'  tuk 
off  dis  yuther  goopher  nohow,  eben  ef 
she  'd  'a'  unnerstood  w'at  Dan  wuz  sayin'. 
So  po'  Dan  wuz  bleedgd  ter  be  a  wolf  all 
de  rest  er  his  bawn  days. 

"  Dey  foun'  Mahaly  down  by  her  own 
cabin  nex'  mawnin',  en  eve'ybody  made 
.a  great  'miration  'bout  how  she  'd  be'n 
killt.  De  niggers  'lowed  a  wolf  had  bit 
her.  De  w'ite  folks  say  no,  dey  ain'  be'n 
no  wolves  'roun'  dere  fer  ten  yeahs  er 
mo' ;  en  dey  did  n'  know  w'at  ter  make 
out'n  it.  En  w'en  dey  could  n'  fin'  Dan 
nowhar,  dey  'lowed  he  'd  quo'lled  wid 
Mahaly  en  killt  her,  en  run  erway ;  en 
dey  did  n*  know  w'at  ter  make  er  dat, 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Ha'nt         191 

fer  Dan  en  Mahaly  wuz  de  mos'  lovin' 
couple  on  de  plantation.  Dey  put  de 
dawgs  on  Dan's  scent,  en  track'  'im 
down  ter  ole  Unk'  Jube's  cabin,  en 
foun'  de  ole  man  dead,  en  dey  did  n' 
know  w'at  ter  make  er  dat  ;  en  den 
Dan's  scent  gun  out,  en  dey  did  n' 
know  w'at  ter  make  er  dat.  Mars 
Dugal'  tuk  on  a  heap  'bout  losin'  two  er 
his  bes'  ban's  in  one  day,  en  ole  missis 
'lowed  it  wuz  a  jedgment  on  'im  fer 
sump'n  he  'd  done.  But  dat  fall  de 
craps  wuz  monst'us  big,  so  Mars  Dugal' 
say  de  Lawd  had  temper'  de  win'  ter  de 
sho'n  ram,  en  make  up  ter  'im  fer  w'at 
he  had  los'. 

"  Dey  buried  Mahaly  down  in  dat 
piece  er  low  groun'  you  er  talkin'  'bout 
cl'arin'  up.  Ez  fer  po'  Dan,  he  didn' 
hab  nowhar  e'se  ter  go,  so  he  des  stayed 
'roun'  Mahaly's  grabe,  w'en  he  wa'n't 
out  in  de  yuther  woods  gittin'  sump'n 
ter    eat.      En    sometimes,    w'en    night 


192  The  Conjure   Woman 

would  come,  de  niggers  useter  heah 
him  howlin'  en  howlin'  down  dere,  des 
fittin'  ter  break  his  hea't.  En  den  some 
mo'  un  'em  said  dey  seed  Mahaly's  ha'nt 
dere  'bun'ance  er  times,  colloguin'  wid 
dis  gray  wolf.  En  eben  now,  fifty  yeahs 
sence,  long  atter  ole  Dan  has  died  en 
dried  up  in  de  woods,  his  ha'nt  en  Ma- 
haly's hangs  'roun'  dat  piece  er  low 
groun',  en  eve'body  w'at  goes  'bout  dere 
has  some  bad  luck  er  'nuther ;  fer  ha'nts 
doan  lack  ter  be  'sturb'  on  dey  own 
stompin'-groun'. " 

The  air  had  darkened  while  the  old 
man  related  this  harrowing  tale.  The 
rising  wind  whistled  around  the  eaves, 
slammed  the  loose  window-shutters,  and, 
still  increasing,  drove  the  rain  in  fiercer 
gusts  into  the  piazza.  As  Julius  finished 
his  story  and  we  rose  to  seek  shelter 
within  doors,  the  blast  caught  the  angle 
of  some  chimney  or  gable  in  the  rear  of 
the  house,  and  bore  to  our  ears  a  long, 


The  Gray  Wolfs  Haul         193 

wailing  note,  an  epitome,  as  it  were,  of 
remorse  and  hopelessness. 

"  Dat  's  des  lack  po'  ole  Dan  useter 
howl,"  observed  Julius,  as  he  reached 
for  his  umbrella,  "  en  w'at  I  be'n  tellin' 
you  is  de  reason  I  doan  lack  ter  see 
dat  neck  er  woods  cl'ared  up.  Co'se  it 
b'longs  ter  you,  en  a  man  kin  do  ez  he 
choose'  wid  'is  own.  But  ef  you  gits 
rheumatiz  er  fever  en  agur,  er  ef  you 
er  snake-bit  er  p'isen'  wid  some  yarb  er 
'nuther,  er  ef  a  tree  falls  on  you,  er  a 
ha'nt  runs  you  en  makes  you  git  'stracted 
in  yo'  min',  lack  some  folks  I  knows  w'at 
went  foolin'  'roun'  dat  piece  er  Ian',  you 
can't  say  I  neber  wa'ned  you,  suh,  en 
tol'  you  w'at  you  mought  look  fer  en  be 
sho'  ter  fin'." 

When  I  cleared  up  the  land  in  ques- 
tion, which  was  not  until  the  following 
year,  I  recalled  the  story  Julius  had 
told  us,  and  looked  in  vain  for  a  sunken 


194  The  Conjure  Woman 

grave  or  perhaps  a  few  weather-bleached 
bones  of  some  denizen  of  the  forest.  I 
cannot  say,  of  course,  that  some  one 
had  not  been  buried  there ;  but  if  so, 
the  hand  of  time  had  long  since  removed 
any  evidence  of  the  fact.  If  some  lone 
wolf,  the  last  of  his  pack,  had  once  made 
his  den  there,  his  bones  had  long  since 
crumbled  into  dust  and  gone  to  fertilize 
the  rank  vegetation  that  formed  the  un- 
dergrowth of  this  wild  spot.  I  did  find, 
however,  a  bee-tree  in  the  woods,  with 
an  ample  cavity  in  its  trunk,  and  an 
opening  through  which  convenient  ac- 
cess could  be  had  to  the  stores  of  honey 
within.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
ever  since  I  had  bought  the  place,  and 
for  many  years  before,  Julius  had  been 
getting  honey  from  this  tree.  The  gray 
wolf's  haunt  had  doubtless  proved  use- 
ful in  keeping  off  too  inquisitive  people, 
who  might  have  interfered  with  his 
monopoly. 


HOT-FOOT   HANNIBAL 

"  I  HATE  you  and  despise  you  !  I 
wish  never  to  see  you  or  speak  to  you 
again  !  " 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  take  care  that 
henceforth  you  have  no  opportunity  to 
do  either." 

These  words  —  the  first  in  the  pas- 
sionately vibrant  tones  of  my  sister-in- 
law,  and  the  latter  in  the  deeper  and 
more  restrained  accents  of  an  angry 
man  —  startled  me  from  my  nap.  I  had 
been  dozing  in  my  hammock  on  the 
front  piazza,  behind  the  honeysuckle 
vine.  I  had  been  faintly  aware  of  a 
buzz  of  conversation  in  the  parlor,  but 
had  not  at  all  awakened  to  its  import 
until  these  sentences  fell,  or,  I  might 
rather  say,  were  hurled  upon  my  ear.  I 
presume   the   young  people  had  either 


196  The  Conjure   Woman 

not  seen  me  lying  there,  —  the  Vene- 
tian bhnds  opening  from  the  parlor  win- 
dows upon  the  piazza  were  partly  closed 
on  account  of  the  heat,  —  or  else  in 
their  excitement  they  had  forgotten  my 
proximity. 

I  felt  somewhat  concerned.  The 
young  man,  I  had  remarked,  was  proud, 
firm,  jealous  of  the  point  of  honor,  and, 
from  my  observation  of  him,  quite  likely 
to  resent  to  the  bitter  end  what  he 
deemed  a  slight  or  an  injustice.  The 
girl,  I  knew,  was  quite  as  high-spirited 
as  young  Murchison.  I  feared  she  was 
not  so  just,  and  hoped  she  would  prove 
more  yielding.  I  knew  that  her  affec- 
tions were  strong  and  enduring,  but  that 
her  temperament  was  capricious,  and 
her.  sunniest  moods  easily  overcast  by 
some  small  cloud  of  jealousy  or  pique. 
I  had  never  imagined,  however,  that  she 
was  capable  of  such  intensity  as  was 
revealed'  by  these   few  words  of  hers. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  197 

As  I  say,  I  felt  concerned.  I  had 
learned  to  like  Malcolm  Murchison,  and 
had  heartily  consented  to  his  marriage 
with  my  ward  ;  for  it  was  in  that  capa- 
city that  I  had  stood  for  a  year  or  two  to 
my  wife's  younger  sister,  Mabel.  The 
match  thus  rudely  broken  off  had  pro- 
mised to  be  another  link  binding  me 
to  the  kindly  Southern  people  among 
whom  I  had  not  long  before  taken  up 
my  residence. 

Young  Murchison  came  out  of  the 
door,  cleared  the  piazza  in  two  strides 
without  seeming  aware  of  my  presence, 
and  went  off  down  the  lane  at  a  furi- 
ous pace.  A  few  moments  later  Mabel 
began  playing  the  piano  loudly,  with  a 
touch  that  indicated  anger  and  pride  and 
independence  and  a  dash  of  exultation, 
as  though  she  were  really  glad  that  she 
had  driven  away  forever  the  young  man 
whom  the  day  before  she  had  loved  with 
all  the  ardor  of  a  first  passion. 


198  The  Conjure   Woman 

I  hoped  that  time  might  heal  the 
breach  and  bring  the  two  young  people 
together  again.  I  told  my  wife  what  I 
had  overheard.  In  return  she  gave  me 
Mabel's  version  of  the  affair. 

"  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  ever  be  set- 
tled," my  wife  said.  "  It  is  something 
more  than  a  mere  lovers'  quarrel.  It 
began,  it  is  true,  because  she  found  fault 
with  him  for  going  to  church  with  that 
hateful  Branson  girl.  But  before  it 
ended  there  were  things  said  that  no 
woman  of  any  spirit  could  stand,  I  am 
afraid  it  is  all  over  between  them." 

I  was  sorry  to  hear  this.  In  spite  of 
the  very  firm  attitude  taken  by  my  wife 
and  her  sister,  I  still  hoped  that  the 
quarrel  would  be  made  up  within  a  day 
or  two.  Nevertheless,  when  a  week  had 
passed  with  no  word  from  young  Mur- 
chison,  and  with  no  sign  of  relenting  on 
Mabel's  part,  I  began  to  think  myself 
mistaken. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  199 

One  pleasant  afternoon,  about  ten 
days  after  the  rupture,  old  Julius  drove 
the  rockaway  up  to  the  piazza,  and  my 
wife,  Mabel,  and  I  took  our  seats  for  a 
drive  to  a  neighbor's  vineyard,  over  on 
the  Lumberton  plank-road. 

"  Which  way  shall  we  go,"  I  asked, 
—  "  the  short  road  or  the  long  one  ?  " 

"  I  guess  we  had  better  take  the  short 
road,"  answered  my  wife.  "  We  will  get 
there  sooner." 

"  It 's  a  mighty  fine  dribe  roun'  by  de 
big  road.  Mis'  Annie,"  observed  Julius, 
"  en  it  doan  take  much  longer  to  git 
dere." 

"No,"  said  my  wife,  "  I  think  we  will 
go  by  the  short  road.  There  is  a  bay- 
tree  in  blossom  near  the  mineral  spring, 
and  I  wish  to  get  some  of  the  flowers." 

"  I  'spec's  you  'd  fin'  some  bay-trees 
'long  de  big  road,  ma'm,"  suggested 
Julius. 

"  But  I  know  about  the  flowers  on  the 


200  The  Conjure   Woman 

short  road,  and  they  are  the  ones  I 
want." 

We  drove  down  the  lane  to  the  high- 
way, and  soon  struck  into  the  short  road 
leading  past  the  mineral  spring.  Our 
route  lay  partly  through  a  swamp,  and 
on  each  side  the  dark,  umbrageous  foli- 
age, unbroken  by  any  clearing,  lent  to 
the  road  solemnity,  and  to  the  air  a  rc: 
freshing  coolness.  About  half  a  mile 
from  the  house,  and  about  half-way  to 
the  mineral  spring,  we  stopped  at  the 
tree  of  which  my  wife  had  spoken,  and 
reaching  up  to  the  low-hanging  boughs,  I 
gathered  a  dozen  of  the  fragrant  white 
flowers.  When  I  resumed  my  seat  in 
the  rockaway,  Julius  started  the  mare. 
She  went  on  for  a  few  rods,  until  we 
had  reached  the  edge  of  a  branch  cross- 
ing the  road,  when  she  stopped  short. 

"  Why  did  you  stop,  Julius  .-*  "  I 
asked. 

"Ididn'j  suh,"  he  replied.     "'Twuz 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  201 

de  mare  stop'.  G'  'long  dere,  Lucy ! 
Wat  you  mean  by  dis  foolis'ness  ?  " 

Julius  jerked  the  reins  and  applied  the 
whip  lightly,  but  the  mare  did  not  stir. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  get  down 
and  lead  her,"  I  suggested.  "If  you 
get  her  started,  you  can  cross  on  the 
log  and  keep  your  feet  dry." 

Julius  alighted,  took  hold  of  the  bri- 
dle, and  vainly  essayed  to  make  the  mare 
move.  She  planted  her  feet  with  even 
more  evident  obstinacy. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  this," 
I  said.  "  I  have  never  known  her  to 
balk  before.     Have  you,  Julius  ?  " 

"  No,  suh,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  I 
neber  has.  It 's  a  cu'ous  thing  ter  me, 
suh." 

"  What 's  the  best  way  to  make  her 


go 


?" 


"  I  'spec's,  suh,  dat  ef  I  'd  tu'n   her 
'roun*,  she'd  go  de  udder  way." 
"But  we  want  her  to  go  this  way." 


202  The  Conjure   Woman 

"  Well,  suh,  I  'low  ef  we  des  set  heah 
fo'  er  flbe  minutes,  she  '11  sta't  up  by 
herse'f." 

"All  right,"  I  rejoined;  "it  is  cooler 
here  than  any  place  I  have  struck  to- 
day. We  '11  let  her  stand  for  a  while, 
and  see  what  she  does." 

We  had  sat  in  silence  for  a  few  min- 
utes, when  Julius  suddenly  ejaculated, 
"  Uh  huh  !  I  knows  w'y  dis  mare  doan 
go.  It  des  flash'  'cross  my  recommem- 
b'ance." 

"  Why  is  it,  Julius  .''  "  I  inquired. 

"'Ca'se  she  sees  Chloe." 

"Where  is  Chloe.''"  I  demanded. 

"  Chloe 's  done  be'n  dead  dese  fo'ty 
years  er  mo',"  the  old  man  returned. 
"  Her  ha'nt  is  settin'  ober  yander  on 
de  udder  side  er  de  branch,  unner  dat 
wilier-tree,  dis  blessed  minute." 

"Why,  Julius!"  said  my  wife,  "do 
you  see  the  haunt .''  " 

"  No  'm,"   he   answered,   shaking  his 


Hot-Foot  liannibal  203 

head,  "  I  doan  see  'er,  but  de  mare  sees 
'er." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Well,  suh,  dis  yer  is  a  gray  boss,  en 
dis  yer  is  a  Friday ;  en  a  gray  boss  kin 
alluz  see  a  ha'nt  w'at  walks  on  Friday." 

"  Wbo  was  Cbloe?"  said  Mabel. 

"  And  wby  does  Chloe's  baunt  walk  ? " 
asked  my  wife. 

"It's  all  in  de  tale,  ma'm,"  Julius 
replied,  witb  a  deep  sigh.  "  It 's  all  in 
de  tale." 

"  Tell  us  the  tale,"  I  said.  "  Perhaps, 
by  the  time  you  get  through,  the  baunt 
will  go  away  and  the  mare  will  cross." 

I  was  willing  to  humor  the  old  man's 
fancy.  He  bad  not  told  us  a  story  for 
some  time  ;  and  the  dark  and  solemn 
swamp  around  us ;  the  amber-colored 
stream  flowing  silently  and  sluggishly 
at  our  feet,  like  the  waters  of  Lethe  ; 
the  heavy,  aromatic  scent  of  the  bays, 
faintly  suggestive  of  funeral  wreaths,  — 


204  The  Conjure   Woman 

all  made  the  place  an  ideal  one  for  a 
ghost  story. 

"  Chloe,"  Julius  began  in  a  subdued 
tone,  "  use'  ter  b'long  ter  ole  Mars'  Du- 
gal'  McAdoo,  —  my  ole  marster.  She 
wuz  a  lackly  gal  en  a  smart  gal,  en  ole 
mis'  tuk  her  up  ter  de  big  house,  en 
I'arnt  her  ter  wait  on  de  w'ite  folks,  'tel 
bimeby  she  come  ter  be  mis's  own  maid, 
en  'peared  ter  'low  she  run  de  house 
herse'f,  ter  heah  her  talk  erbout  it.  I 
wuz  a  young  boy  den,  en  use'  ter  wuk 
'bout  de  stables,  so  I  knowed  eve'ythin' 
dat  wuz  gwine  on  'roun'  de  plantation. 

"  Well,  one  time  Mars'  Dugal'  wanted 
a  house  boy,  en  sont  down  ter  de  qua'- 
ters  fer  ter  hab  Jeff  en  Hannibal  come 
up  ter  de  big  house  nex'  mawnin'.  Ole 
marster  en  ole  mis'  look'  de  two  boys 
ober,  en  'sco'sed  wid  deyse'ves  fer  a  little 
w'ile,  en  den  Mars'  Dugal'  sez,  sezee  :  — 

"  '  We  lacks  Hannibal  de  bes',  en  we 
gwine'  ter  keep  him.     Heah,  Hannibal, 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  205 

you  '11  wuk  at  de  house  fum  now  on. 
En  ef  you  er  a  good  nigger  en  min's 
yo'  bizness,  I  '11  gib  you  Chloe  fer  a 
wife  nex'  spring.  You  other  nigger,  you 
Jeff,  you  kin  go  back  ter  de  qua'ters. 
We  ain'  gwine  ter  need  you.' 

"  Now  Chloe  had  be'n  stan'in'  dere 
behin'  ole  mis'  dyoin'  all  er  dis  yer  talk, 
en  Chloe  made  up  her  min'  fum  de  ve'y 
fus'  minute  she  sot  eyes  on  dem  two  dat 
she  did  n'  lack  dat  nigger  Hannibal,  en 
wa'n't  neber  gwine  keer  fer  'im,  en  she 
wuz  des  ez  sho'  dat  she  lack'  Jeff,  en  wuz 
gwine  ter  set  sto'  by  'im,  whuther  Mars' 
Dugal'  tuk  'im  in  de  big  house  er  no ; 
en  so  co'se  Chloe  wuz  monst'us  sorry 
w'en  ole  Mars'  Dugal'  tuk  Hannibal  en 
sont  Jeff  back.  So  she  slip'  roun'  de 
house  en  waylaid  Jeff  on  de  way  back 
ter  de  qua'ters,  en  tol'  'im  not  ter  be 
down-hea'ted,  fer  she  wuz  gwine  ter  see 
ef  she  could  n'  fin'  some  way  er  'nuther 
ter  git  rid  er  dat  nigger  Hannibal,  en  git 
Jeff  up  ter  de  house  in  his  place. 


2o6  The  Conjure   Woman 

"De  noo  house  boy  kotch'  on  monst'us 
fas',  en  it  wa'n't  no  time  ha'dly  befo' 
Mars'  Dugal'  en  ole  mis'  bofe  'mence' 
ter  'low  Hannibal  wuz  de  bes'  house  boy 
dey  eber  had.  He  wuz  peart  en  soopl', 
quick  ez  lightnin',  en  sha'p  ez  a  razor. 
But  Chloe  did  n'  lack  his  ways.  He  wuz 
so  sho'  he  wuz  gwine  ter  git  'er  in  de 
spring,  dat  he  did  n'  'pear  ter  'low  he 
had  ter  do  any  co'tin',  en  w'en  he  'd  run 
'cross  Chloe  'bout  de  house,  he  'd  swell 
roun'  'er  in  a  biggity  way  en  say  :  — 

" '  Come  heah  en  kiss  me,  honey. 
You  gwine  ter  be  mine  in  de  spring. 
You  doan  'pear  ter  be  ez  fon'  er  me  ez 
you  oughter  be.' 

"  Chloe  did  n'  keer  nuffin  fer  Hanni- 
bal, en  had  n'  keered  nuffin  fer  'im,  en 
she  sot  des  ez  much  sto'  by  Jeff  ez  she 
did  de  day  she  fus'  laid  eyes  on  'im. 
En  de  mo'  fermilyus  dis  yer  Hannibal 
got,  de  mo'  Chloe  let  her  min'  run  on 
Jeff,  eh  one  ebenin'  she  went  down  ter 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  207 

de  qua'ters  en  watch',  'tel  she  got  a 
chance  fer  ter  talk  wid  'im  by  hisse'f. 
En  she  tol'  Jeff  fer  ter  go  down  en  see 
ole  Aun'  Peggy,  de  cunjuh  'oman  down 
by  de  Wim'l'ton  Road,  en  ax  her  ter  gib 
'im  sump'n  ter  he'p  git  Hannibal  out'n 
de  big  house,  so  de  w'ite  folks  'u'd  sen' 
fer  Jeff  ag'in.  En  bein'  ez  Jeff  did  n' 
hab  nufiin  ter  gib  Aun'  Peggy,  Chloe 
gun  'im  a  silber  dollah  en  a  silk  han'- 
kercher  fer  ter  pay  her  wid,  fer  Aun' 
Peggy  neber  lack  ter  wuk  fer  nobody 
fer  nuffin. 

"  So  Jeff  slip'  off  down  ter  Aun'  Peg- 
gy's one  night,  en  gun  'er  de  present  he 
brung,  en  tol'  'er  all  'bout  'im  en  Chloe 
en  Hannibal,  en  ax'  'er  ter  he'p  'im  out. 
Aun'  Peggy  tol'  'im  she  'd  wuk  'er  roots, 
en  fer  'im  ter  come  back  de  nex'  night, 
en  she  'd  tell  'im  w'at  she  c'd  do  fer  'im. 

"So  de  nex'  night  JefFwent  back,  en 
Aun'  Peggy  gun  'im  a  baby  doll,  wid  a 
body  made  out'n  a  piece  er  co'n-stalk, 


2o8  The  Conjure   Woman 

en  wid  splinters  fer  a'ms  en  laigs,  en  a 
head  made  out'n  elderberry  peth,  en 
two  little  red  peppers  fer  feet. 

" '  Dis  yer  baby  doll,'  sez  she,  *  is  Han- 
nibal. Dis  yer  peth  head  is  Hannibal's 
head,  en  dese  yer  pepper  feet  is  Hanni- 
bal's feet.  You  take  dis  en  hide  it  unner 
de  house,  on  de  sill  unner  de  do',  whar 
Hannibal  '11  hafter  walk  ober  it  eve'y  day. 
En  ez  long  ez  Hannibal  comes  anywhar 
nigh  dis  baby  doll,  he  '11  be  des  lack  it  is, 
—  light-headed  en  hot-footed  ;  en  ef  dem 
two  things  doan  git  'im  inter  trouble 
mighty  soon,  den  I  'm  no  cunjuh  'oman. 
But  w'en  you  git  Hannibal  out'n  de 
house,  en  git  all  th'oo  wid  dis  baby  doll, 
you  mus'  fetch  it  back  ter  me,  fer  it 's 
monst'us  powerful  goopher,  en  is  liable 
ter  make  mo'  trouble  ef  you  leabe  it 
layin'  roun'.' 

"  Well,  Jeff  tuk  de  baby  doll,  en  slip' 
up  ter  de  big  house,  en  whistle'  ter 
Chloe,  en  w'en  she  come  out  he  tol'  'er 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  209 

w'at  ole  Aim'  Peggy  had  said.  En 
Chloe  showed  'im  how  ter  git  unner  de 
house,  en  w'en  he  had  put  de  cunjuh 
doll  on  de  sill,  he  went  'long  back  ter  de 
qua'ters  —  en  des  waited. 

"  Nex'  day,  sho'  'nuff,  de  goopher 
'mence'  ter  wuk.  Hannibal  sta'ted  in 
de  house  soon  in  de  mawnin'  wid  a  arm- 
ful er  wood  ter  make  a  fire,  en  he  had  n' 
mo'  d'n  got  'cross  de  do'-sill  befo'  his  feet 
begun  ter  bu'n  so  dat  he  drap'  de  armful 
er  wood  on  de  flo'  en  woke  ole  mis'  up  a' 
hour  sooner  'n  yushal,  en  co'se  ole  mis' 
didn'  lack  dat,  en  spoke  sha'p  erbout  it. 

"W'en  dinner-time  come,  en  Hanni- 
bal wuz  help'n'  de  cook  kyar  de  dinner 
f'm  de  kitchen  inter  de  big  house,  en 
wuz  gittin'  close  ter  de  do'  whar  he  had 
ter  go  in,  his  feet  sta'ted  ter  bu'n  en  his 
head  begun  ter  swim,  en  he  let  de  big 
dish  er  chicken  en  dumplin's  fall  right 
down  in  de  dirt,  in  de  middle  er  de  ya'd, 
en  de  w'ite  folks  had  ter  make  dey  din- 


2IO  The  Conjure    Woman 

ner  dat  day  off' n  col'  ham  en  sweet'n' 
'taters, 

"  De  nex'  mawnin'  he  overslep'  his- 
se'f,  en  got  inter  mo'  trouble.  Atter 
breakfus',  Mars'  Dugal'  sont  'im  ober 
ter  Mars'  Marrabo  Utley's  fer  ter  borry 
a  monkey  wrench.  He  oughter  be'n 
back  in  ha'f  a'  hour,  but  he  come  pokin' 
home  'bout  dinner-time  wid  a  screw- 
driver stidder  a  monkey  wrench.  Mars' 
Dugal'  sont  ernudder  nigger  back  wid  de 
screw-driver,  en  Hannibal  did  n'  git  no 
dinner.  'Long  in  de  atternoon,  ole  mis' 
sot  Hannibal  ter  weedin'  de  flowers  in 
de  front  gya'den,  en  Hannibal  dug  up 
all  de  bulbs  ole  mis'  had  sont  erway  fer, 
en  paid  a  lot  er  money  fer,  en  tuk  'em 
down  ter  de  hawg-pen  by  de  ba'nya'd, 
en  fed  'em  ter  de  hawgs.  Wen  ole  mis' 
come  out  in  de  cool  er  de  ebenin',  en 
seed  w'at  Hannibal  had  done,  she  wuz 
mos'  crazy,  en  she  wrote  a  note  en  sont 
Hannibal  down  ter  de  oberseah  wid  it. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  211 

"  But  w'at  Hannibal  got  fum  de  ober- 
seah  did  n'  'pear  ter  do  no  good.  Eve'y 
now  en  den  'is  feet  'd  'mence  ter  tor- 
ment 'im,  en  'is  min'  'u'd  git  all  mix'  up, 
en  his  conduc'  kep'  gittin'  wusser  en 
wusser,  'tel  fin'lly  de  vv'ite  folks  could  n' 
Stan'  it  no  longer,  en  Mars'  Dugal'  tuk 
Hannibal  back  down  ter  de  qua'ters. 

"  '  Mr.  Smif,'  sez  Mars'  Dugal'  ter  de 
oberseah,  'dis  yer  nigger  has  done  got 
so  triflin'  yer  lately  dat  we  can't  keep 
'im  at  de  house  no  mo',  en  I 's  fotch* 
'im  ter  you  ter  be  straighten'  up.  You  's 
had  'casion  ter  deal  wid  'im  once,  so  he 
knows  w'at  ter  expec'.  You  des  take 
'im  in  han',  en  lemme  know  how  he 
tu'ns  out.  En  w'en  de  ban's  comes  in 
fum  de  fiel'  dis  ebenin'  you  kin  sen' 
dat  yaller  nigger  Jeff  up  ter  de  house. 
I  '11  try  'im,  en  see  ef  he  's  any  better  'n 
Hannibal.' 

"  So  Jeff  went  up  ter  de  big  house, 
en  pleas'  Mars'  Dugal'  en  ole  mis'  en 


212  The  Conjure  Woman 

de  res'  er  de  fambly  so  well  dat  dey  all 
got  ter  lackin'  'im  fus'rate ;  en  dey  'd  'a' 
fergot  all  'bout  Hannibal,  ef  it  hadn' 
be'n  far  de  bad  repo'ts  w'at  come  up 
fum  de  qua'ters  'bout  'im  fer  a  mont'  er 
so.  Fac'  is,  dat  Chloe  en  Jeff  wuz  so 
int'rusted  in  one  ernudder  sence  Jeff 
be'n  up  ter  de  house,  dat  dey  fergot  all 
'bout  takin'  de  baby  doll  back  ter  Aun' 
Peggy,  en  it  kep'  wukkin'  fer  a  w'ile,  en 
makin'  Hannibal's  feet  bu'n  mo*  er  less, 
'tel  all  de  folks  on  de  plantation  got  ter 
callin'  'im  Hot-Foot  Hannibal.  He  kep' 
gittin'  mo'  en  mo'  triflin',  'tel  he  got  de 
name  er  bein'  de  mos'  no  'countes'  nig- 
ger on  de  plantation,  en  Mars'  Dugal' 
had  ter  th'eaten  ter  sell  'im  in  de  spring, 
w'en  bimeby  de  goopher  quit  wukkin', 
en  Hannibal  'mence'  ter  pick  up  some 
en  make  folks  set  a  little  mo'  sto'  by  'im. 
"  Now,  dis  yer  Hannibal  was  a  mon- 
st'us  sma't  nigger,  en  w'en  he  got  rid  er 
dam  so'  feet,  his  min'  kep'  runnin'  on  'is 


Hot-Foot  Han7iibal  213 

udder  troubles.  Heah  th'ee  er  fo'  weeks 
befo'  he'd  had  a'  easy  job,  waitin'  on 
de  w'ite  folks,  libbin'  off' n  de  fat  er  de 
Ian',  en  promus'  de  fines'  gal  on  de  plan- 
tation fer  a  wife  in  de  spring,  en  now 
heah  he  wuz  back  in  de  co'n-fiel',  wid  de 
oberseah  a-cussin'  en  a-r'arin'  ef  he 
did  n'  get  a  ha'd  tas'  done ;  wid  nuffin 
but  co'n  bread  en  bacon  en  merlasses  ter 
eat ;  en  all  de  fiel'-han's  makin'  rema'ks, 
en  pokin'  fun  at  'im  'ca'se  he'd  be'n  sont 
back  fum  de  big  house  ter  de  fiel'.  En 
de  mo'  Hannibal  studied  'bout  it  de  mo' 
madder  he  got,  'tel  he  fin'lly  swo'  he  wuz 
gwine  ter  git  eben  wid  Jeff  en  Chloe,  ef 
it  wuz  de  las'  ac', 

"So  Hannibal  slipped  'way  fum  de 
qua'ters  one  Sunday  en  hid  in  de  co'n 
up  close  ter  de  big  house,  'tel  he  see 
Chloe  gwine  down  de  road.  He  way- 
laid her,  en  sezee  :  — 

"  '  Hoddy,  Chloe  t ' 

" '  I  ain'  got  no  time  fer  ter  fool  wid 


214  1^^^^  Conjure  Woman 

fiel'-han's,'  sez  Chloe,  tossin'  her  head  ; 
'  w'at  you  want  wid  me,  Hot-Foot  ? ' 

" '  I  wants  ter  know  how  you  en  Jeff 
is  gittin'  'long.' 

" '  I  'lows  dat  's  none  er  yo'  bizness, 
nigger.  I  doan  see  w'at  'casion  any  com- 
mon fiel'-han'  has  got  ter  mix  in  wid  de 
'fairs  er  folks  w'at  libs  in  de  big  house. 
But  ef  it  '11  do  you  any  good  ter  know, 
I  mought  say  dat  me  en  Jeff  is  gittin' 
'long  mighty  well,  en  we  gwine  ter  git 
married  in  de  spring,  en  you  ain'  gwine 
ter  be  'vited  ter  de  weddin'  nuther.' 

"  '  No,  no  ! '  sezee,  '  I  would  n'  'spec' 
ter  be  'vited  ter  de  weddin', — a  com- 
mon, low-down  fiel'-han*  lack  /  is.  But 
I 's  glad  ter  heah  you  en  Jeff  is  gittin' 
'long  so  well.  I  did  n'  knowed  but  w'at 
he  had  'mence'  ter  be  a  little  ti'ed.' 

"  *  Ti'ed  er  me  }  Dat 's  rediklus  ! ' 
sez  Chloe.  '  W'y,  dat  nigger  lubs  me  so 
I  b'liebe  he  'd  go  th'oo  fire  en  water  fer 
me.     Dat  nigger  is  des  wrop'  up  in  me,' 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  215 

" '  Uh  huh,'  sez  Hannibal,  'den  I 
reckon  it  mus'  be  some  udder  nigger 
w'at  meets  a  'oman  down  by  de  crick  in 
de  swamp  eve'y  Sunday  ebenin',  ter  say 
nuffin  'bout  two  er  th'ee  times  a  week.' 

" '  Yas,  hit  is  ernudder  nigger,  en  you 
is  a  liah  w'en  you  say  it  wuz  Jeff.' 

"  '  Mebbe  I  is  a  liah,  en  mebbe  I  ain' 
got  good  eyes.  But  'less'n  I  is  a  liah, 
en  'less'n  I  ain  got  good  eyes,  Jeff  is 
gwine  ter  meet  dat  'oman  dis  ebenin' 
'long  'bout  eight  o'clock  right  down  dere 
by  de  crick  in  de  swamp  'bout  half-way 
betwix'  dis  plantation  en  Mars'  Marrabo 
Utley's.' 

"  Well,  Chloe  tol'  Hannibal  she  did  n' 
b'liebe  a  wo'd  he  said,  en  call'  'im  a  low- 
down  nigger,  who  wuz  tryin'  ter  slander 
Jeff  'ca'se  he  wuz  mo'  luckier  'n  he  wuz. 
But  all  de  same,  she  could  n'  keep  her 
min'  fum  runnin'  on  w'at  Hannibal  had 
said.  She  'membered  she  'd  beared  one 
er  de  niggers  say  dey  wuz  a  gal  ober  at 


2i6  The  Conjure  Woman 

Mars'  Marrabo  Utley's  plantation  w'at 
Jeff  use'  ter  go  wid  some  befo'  he  got 
'quainted  wid  Chloe.  Den  she  'mence' 
ter  figger  back,  en  sho'  'nuff,  dey  wuz 
two  er  th'ee  times  in  de  las'  week  w'en 
she  'd  be'n  he'pin'  de  ladies  wid  dey 
dressin'  en  udder  fixin's  in  de  ebenin',  en 
Jeff  mought  'a'  gone  down  ter  de  swamp 
widout  her  knowin'  'bout  it  at  all.  En 
den  she 'mence'  ter  'member  little  things 
w'at  she  had  n'  tuk  no  notice  of  befo', 
en  w'at  'u'd  make  it  'pear  lack  Jeff  had 
sump'n  on  his  min'. 

"  Chloe  set  a  monst'us  heap  er  sto'  by 
Jeff,  en  would  'a'  done  mos'  anythin' 
fer  'im,  so  long  ez  he  stuck  ter  her.  But 
Chloe  wuz  a  mighty  jealous  'oman,  en 
w'iles  she  did  n'  b'liebe  w'at  Hannibal 
said,  she  seed  how  it  cojild  'a'  be'n  so, 
en  she  'termine'  fer  ter  fin'  out  fer  her- 
se'f  whuther  it  zuiiz  so  er  no. 

"  Now,  Chloe  had  n'  seed  Jeff  all  day, 
fer  Mars'  Dugal'  had  sont  Jeff  ober  ter 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  217 

his  daughter's  house,  young  Mis'  Ma'- 
g'ret's,  w'at  libbed  'bout  fo'  miles  fum 
Mars'  Dugal's,  en  Jeff  wuz  n'  'spected 
home  'tel  ebenin'.  But  des  atter  supper 
wuz  ober,  en  w'iles  de  ladies  wuz  settin' 
out  on  de  piazzer,  Chloe  slip'  off  fum  de 
house  en  run  down  de  road, — dis  yer 
same  road  we  come ;  en  w'en  she  got 
mos'  ter  de  crick  —  dis  yer  same  crick 
right  befo'  us  —  she  kin'  er  kep'  in  de 
bushes  at  de  side  er  de  road,  'tel  fin'lly 
she  seed  Jeff  settin'  on  de  bank  on  de 
udder  side  er  de  crick,  —  right  unner  dat 
ole  wilier-tree  droopin'  ober  de  water 
yander.  En  eve'y  now  en  den  he  'd  git 
up  en  look  up  de  road  to'ds  Mars'  Mar- 
rabo's  on  de  udder  side  er  de  swamp. 

"  Fus'  Chloe  felt  lack  she  'd  go  right 
ober  de  crick  en  gib  Jeff  a  piece  er  her 
min'.  Den  she  'lowed  she  better  be  sho' 
befo'  she  done  anythin'.  So  she  belt 
herse'f  in  de  bes'  she  could,  gittin'  mad- 
der en  madder  eve'y  minute,  'tel  bimeby 


2i8  The  Conjure    Woman 

she  seed  a  'oman  comin'  down  de  road  on 
de  udder  side  fum  to'ds  Mars'  Marrabo 
Utley's  plantation.  En  w'en  she  seed 
Jeff  jump  up  en  run  to'ds  dat  'oman,  en 
th'ow  his  a'ms  roun'  her  neck,  po'  Chloe 
did  n'  stop  ter  see  no  mo',  but  des  tu'nt 
roun'  en  run  up  ter  de  house,  en  rush' 
up  on  de  piazzer,  en  up  en  tol'  Mars' 
Dugal'  en  ole  mis'  all  'bout  de  baby  doll, 
en  all  'bout  Jeff  gittin'  de  goopher  fum 
Aun'  Peggy,  en  'bout  w'at  de  goopher 
had  done  ter  Hannibal. 

"  Mars'  Dugal'  wuz  monst'us  mad. 
He  did  n'  let  on  at  fus'  lack  he  b'liebed 
Chloe,  but  w'en  she  tuk  en  showed  'im 
whar  ter  fin'  de  baby  doll,  Mars'  Dugal' 
tu'nt  w'ite  ez  chalk. 

"'W'at  debil's  wuk  is  dis  .-* '  sezee. 
*  No  wonder  de  po'  nigger's  feet  eetched. 
Sump'n  got  ter  be  done  ter  I'arn  dat  ole 
witch  ter  keep  her  ban's  off' n  my  nig- 
gers. En  ez  fer  dis  yer  Jeff,  I  'm  gwine 
ter  do  des  w'at  I  promus',  so  de  darkies 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  219 

on  dis  plantation  '11  know  I  means  w'at 
I  sez.' 

"  Fer  Mars'  Dugal'  had  warned  de 
ban's  befo'  'bout  foolin'  wid  cunju'ation  ; 
fac',  be  bad  los'  one  er  two  niggers  his- 
se'f  fum  dey  bein'  goopbered,  en  be 
would  'a'  bad  ole  Aun'  Peggy  wbip'  long 
ago,  on'y  Aun'  Peggy  wuz  a  free  'oman, 
en  be  wuz  'feard  sbe  'd  cunjub  bim.  En 
w'iles  Mars'  Dugal'  say  be  did  n'  b'liebe 
in  cunj'in'  en  sicb,  be  'peared  ter  'low  it 
wuz  bes'  ter  be  on  de  safe  side,  en  let 
Aun'  Peggy  alone. 

"  So  Mars'  Dugal'  done  des  ez  be  say. 
Ef  ole  mis'  bad  ple'd  fer  Jeff,  be  mougbt 
'a'  kep'  'im.  But  ole  mis'  bad  n'  got 
ober  losin'  dem  bulbs  yit,  en  sbe  neber 
said  a  wo'd.  Mars'  Dugal'  tuk  Jeff  ter 
town  nex'  day  en'  sol'  'im  ter  a  spekila- 
ter,  wbo  sta'ted  down  de  ribber  wid  'im 
nex'  mawnin'  on  a  steamboat,  fer  ter 
take  'im  ter  Alabama. 

"  Now,  w'en  Cbloe  tol'  ole  Mars'  Du- 


220  The  Conjure  Woman 

gal'  'bout  dis  yer  baby  doll  en  dis  udder 
goopher,  she  had  n'  ha'dly  'lowed  Mars' 
Dugal'  would  sell  Jeff  down  Souf.  How- 
someber,  she  wuz  so  mad  wid  Jeff  dat 
she  'suaded  herse'f  she  did  n'  keer ;  en 
so  she  hilt  her  head  up  en  went  roun' 
lookin'  lack  she  wuz  rale  glad  'bout  it.. 
But  one  day  she  wuz  walkin'  down  de 
road,  w'en  who  sh'd  come  long  but  dis 
yer  Hannibal. 

"  W'en  Hannibal  seed  'er,  he  bus'  out 
laffin'  fittin'  fer  ter  kill:  'Yah,  yah, 
yah  !  ho,  ho,  ho  !  ha,  ha,  ha  !  Oh,  hoi' 
me,  honey,  hoi'  me,  er  I  '11  laf  myse'f  ter 
def.  I  ain'  nebber  laf  so  much  sence  I 
be'n  bawn.' 

"  '  Wat  you  laffin'  at,  Hot-Foot .?' 

"  '  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  Wat  I  laffin'  at .? 
W'y,  I 's  laffin'  at  myse'f,  tooby  sho',  — 
laffin'  ter  think  w'at  a  fine  'oman  I 
made.' 

"  Chloe  tu'nt  pale,  en  her  hea't  come 
up  in  her  mouf. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  221 

"  '  Wat  you  mean,  nigger  ? '  sez  she, 
ketchin'  holt  er  a  bush  by  de  road  far 
ter  stiddy  herse'f.  *  Wat  you  mean  by 
de  kin'  er  'oman  you  made  ? ' 

"  '  Wat  do  I  mean  ?  I  means  dat  I 
got  squared  up  wid  you  fer  treatin'  me 
de  way  you  done,  en  I  got  eben  wid  dat 
yaller  nigger  Jeff  fer  cuttin'  me  out. 
Now,  he  's  gwine  ter  know  w'at  it  is  ter 
eat  co'n  bread  en  merlasses  once  mo', 
en  wuk  fum  dayhght  ter  da'k,  en  ter 
hab  a  oberseah  dribin'  'im  fum  one  day's 
een'  ter  de  udder.  I  means  dat  I  sont 
wo'd  ter  Jeff  dat  Sunday  dat  you  wuz 
gwine  ter  be  ober  ter  Mars*  Marrabo's 
visitin'  dat  ebenin',  en  you  want  'im 
ter  meet  you  down  by  de  crick  on  de 
way  home  en  go  de  rest  er  de  road  wid 
you.  En  den  I  put  on  a  frock  en  a  sun- 
bonnet,  en  fix'  myse'f  up  ter  look  lack  a 
'oman  ;  en  w'en  Jeff  seed  me  comin',  he 
run  ter  meet  me,  en  you  seed  'im,  — fer 
I  'd  be'n  watchin'  in  de  bushes  befo'  en 


222  The  Conjure  Woman 

'skivered  you  comin'  down  de  road.  En 
now  I  reckon  you  en  Jeff  bofe  knows 
w'at  it  means  ter  mess  wid  a  nigger 
lack  me.' 

"  Po'  Chloe  had  n'  beared  mo'  d'n  half 
er  de  las'  part  er  w'at  Hannibal  said, 
but  she  had  beared  'nuff  to  I'arn  dat  dis 
nigger  had  fooled  her  en  Jeff,  en  dat  po' 
Jeff  hadn'  done  nufifin,  en  dat  fer  lov- 
in'  her  too  much  en  goin'  ter  meet  her 
she  had  cause'  'im  ter  be  sol'  erway  whar 
she'd  neber,  neber  see  'im  no  mo'. 
De  sun  mought  shine  by  day,  de  moon 
by  night,  de  flowers  mought  bloom,  en 
de  mawkin'-birds  mought  sing,  but  po' 
Jeff  wuz  done  los'  ter  her  fereber  en 
fereber. 

"  Hannibal  had  n'  mo'  d'n  finish'  w'at 
he  had  ter  say,  w'en  Chloe's  knees  gun 
'way  unner  her,  en  she  fell  down  in  de 
road,  en  lay  dere  half  a'  hour  er  so  befo' 
she  come  to.  W'en  she  did,  she  crep' 
up  ter  de  house  des  ez  pale  ez  a  ghos'. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  223 

En  fer  a  mont'  er  so  she  crawled  roun' 
cle  house,  en  'peared  ter  be  so  po'ly  dat 
Mars'  Dugal'  sont  fer  a  doctor  ;  en  de 
doctor  kep'  on  axin'  her  questions  'tel 
he  foun'  she  wuz  des  pinin'  erway  fer 
Jeff. 

"Wen  he  tol'  Mars'  Dugal',  Mars' 
Dugal'  lafft,  en  said  he  'd  fix  dat.  She 
could  hab  de  noo  house  boy  fer  a  hus- 
ban'.  But  ole  mis'  say,  no,  Chloe  ain' 
dat  kin'er  gal,  en  dat  Mars'  Dugal'  sh'd 
buy  Jeff  back. 

"  So  Mars'  Dugal'  writ  a  letter  ter 
dis  yer  spekilater  down  ter  Wim'l'ton, 
en  tol'  ef  he  ain'  done  sol'  dat  nigger 
Souf  w'at  he  bought  fum  'im,  he  'd  lack 
ter  buy  'im  back  ag'in.  Chloe  'mence' 
ter  pick  up  a  little  w'en  ole  mis'  tol'  her 
'bout  dis  letter.  Howsomeber,  bimeby 
Mars'  Dugal'  got  a'  answer  fum  de  spek- 
ilater, who  said  he  wuz  monst'us  sorry, 
but  Jeff  had  fell  ove'boa'd  er  jumped 
off'n  de  steamboat  on  de  way  ter  Wim'- 


224  The  Conjure  Woman 

I'ton,  en  got  drownded,  en  co'se  he  could 
n'  sell  'im  back,  much  ez  he  'd  lack  ter 
'bleedge  Mars'  Dugal'. 

"  Well,  atter  Chloe  beared  dis,  she 
wa'n't  much  mo'  use  ter  nobody.  She 
pu'tended  ter  do  her  wuk,  en  ole  mis' 
put  up  wid  her,  en  had  de  doctor  gib 
her  medicine,  en  let  'er  go  ter  de  circus, 
en  all  so'ts  er  things  fer  ter  take  her 
min'  off' n  her  troubles.  But  dey  did  n' 
none  un  'em  do  no  good.  Chloe  got 
ter  slippin'  down  here  in  de  ebenin'  des 
lack  she  'uz  comin'  ter  meet  Jeff,  en 
she  'd  set  dere  vmner  dat  wilier-tree  on 
de  udder  side,  en  wait  fer  'im,  night  atter 
night.  Bimeby  she  got  so  bad  de  w'ite 
folks  sont  her  ober  ter  young  Mis'  Ma'- 
g'ret's  fer  ter  gib  her  a  change  ;  but  she 
runned  erway  de  fus'  night,  en  w'en  dey 
looked  fer  'er  nex'  mawnin',  dey  foun' 
her  co'pse  layin'  in  de  branch  yander, 
right  'cross  fum  whar  we  're  settin' 
now. 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  225 

"  Eber  sence  den,"  said  Julius  in  con- 
clusion, "  Chloe's  ha'nt  comes  eve'y  eben- 
in'  en  sets  down  unner  dat  wilier-tree  en 
waits  fer  Jeff,  er  e'se  walks  up  en  down 
de  road  yander,  lookin'  en  lookin',  en 
waitin'  en  waitin',  fer  her  sweethea't  w'at 
ain'  neber,  neber  come  back  ter  her  no 
mo'." 

There  was  silence  when  the  old  man 
had  finished,  and  I  am  sure  I  saw  a  tear 
in  my  wife's  eye,  and  more  than  one  in 
Mabel's. 

"  I  think,  Julius,"  said  my  wife,  after 
a  moment,  "  that  you  may  turn  the  mare 
around  and  go  by  the  long  road." 

The  old  man  obeyed  with  alacrity,  and 
I  noticed  no  reluctance  on  the  mare's 
part. 

"  You  are  not  afraid  of  Chloe's  haunt, 
are  you  }''  I  asked  jocularly. 

My  mood  was  not  responded  to,  and 
neither  of  the  ladies  smiled. 

"  Oh,   no,"    said   Annie,    "  but    I  've 


226  The  Conjure  Woman 

changed  my  mind.  I  prefer  the  other 
route." 

When  we  had  reached  the  main  road 
and  had  proceeded  along  it  for  a  short 
distance,  we  met  a  cart  driven  by  a  young 
negro,  and  on  the  cart  were  a  trunk  and 
a  vaUse.  We  recognized  the  man  as 
Malcolm  Murchison's  servant,  and  drew 
up  a  moment  to  speak  to  him. 

"  Who  's  going  away,  Marshall }  "  I 
inquired, 

"  Young  Mistah  Ma'colm  gwine  'way 
on  de  boat  ter  Noo  Yo'k  dis  ebenin', 
suh,  en  I  'm  takin'  his  things  down  ter 
de  wharf,  suh." 

This  was  news  to  me,  and  I  heard  it 
with  regret.  My  wife  looked  sorry,  too, 
and  I  could  see  that  Mabel  was  trying 
hard  to  hide  her  concern. 

"  He  's  comin'  'long  behin',  suh,  en  I 
'spec's  you'll  meet  'im  up  de  road  a 
piece.  He 's  gwine  ter  walk  down  ez 
fur  ez  Mistah  Jim  Williams's,  en   take 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  227 

de  buggy  fum  dere  ter  town.  He  'spec's 
ter  be  gone  a  long  time,  suh,  en  say 
prob'ly  he  ain'  neber  comin'  back." 

The  man  drove  on.  There  were  a 
few  words  exchanged  in  an  undertone 
between  my  wife  and  Mabel,  which  I  did 
not  catch.  Then  Annie  said  :  "  Julius, 
you  may  stop  the  rockaway  a  moment. 
There  are  some  trumpet-flowers  by  the 
road  there  that  I  want.  Will  you  get 
them  for  me,  John  } " 

I  sprang  into  the  underbrush,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  great  bunch  of  scarlet 
blossoms. 

"Where  is  Mabel.?"  I  asked,  noting 
her  absence. 

"  She  has  walked  on  ahead.  We  shall 
overtake  her  in  a  few  minutes." 

The  carriage  had  gone  only  a  short 
distance  when  my  wife  discovered  that 
she  had  dropped  her  fan. 

"I  had  it  where  we  were  stopping. 
Julius,  will  you  go  back  and  get  it  for 
me  ? " 


228  The  Conjure  Woman 

Julius  got  down  and  went  back  for  the 
fan.  He  was  an  unconscionably  long 
time  finding  it.  After  we  got  started 
again  we  had  gone  only  a  little  way,  when 
we  saw  Mabel  and  young  Murchison 
coming  toward  us.  They  were  walking 
arm  in  arm,  and  their  faces  were  aglow 
with  the  light  of  love. 

I  do  not  know  whether  or  not  Julius 
had  a  previous  understanding  with  Mal- 
colm Murchison  by  which  he  was  to 
drive  us  round  by  the  long  road  that 
day,  nor  do  I  know  exactly  what  motive 
influenced  the  old  man's  exertions  in 
the  matter.  He  was  fond  of  Mabel, 
but  I  was  old  enough,  and  knew  Julius 
well  enough,  to  be  skeptical  of  his  mo- 
tives. It  is  certain  that  a  most  excel- 
lent understanding  existed  between  him 
and  Murchison  after  the  reconciliation, 
and  that  when  the  young  people  set  up 
housekeeping  over  at  the  old  Murchison 


Hot-Foot  Hannibal  229 

place,  Julius  had  an  opportunity  to  enter 
their  service.  For  some  reason  or  other, 
however,  he  preferred  to  remain  with  us. 
The  mare,  I  might  add,  was  never  known 
to  balk  again. 


CAMBRIDGE,  MASSACHUSETTS,  U.  S.  A. 

ELECTROTYPED  AND  PRINTED  BY 

H.  O.  HOUGHTON    AND  CO. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 
209 


